


Of Stupid Gods and Idiot-Kings

by OMGitsgreen



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-compliant OC, Canonical Character Death, Complete, F/M, Original Dragon Warrior, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-16
Updated: 2016-02-10
Packaged: 2018-04-21 02:20:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 36,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4811240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OMGitsgreen/pseuds/OMGitsgreen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I shall have you know, King Hiryuu, that unfortunately you shall find upon the Earth that things never work out for stupid Gods who become idiot-Kings. You are not the first in history, nor shall you be the last.”  Everyone knew it was to be that King Hiryuu was to be wed, but who the first Queen of Kouka would be was the surprising part.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Of Stupid Gods and Idiot-Kings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1 AM Green left me with some material, so I decided to quickly write it up. This would be apparently King Hiryuu meeting his future wife, whom 1 AM Green apparently named Lady Aiko. Lady Aiko is sort of apparently, a sarcastic, caustic, intelligent menace. But you know what? I dig it. 
> 
> Reference made to the famous text Kamo no Chomei Hojoki, and spoilers for chapters 100+.

Their company had arrived at the Lord’s house and were received with great joy and honor. Lord Taizo, who was one of the most influential Lords of the great stretches of land to the East, had been one of King Hiryuu’s most staunch supporter since the beginning of the quest, so greeting him while King Hiryuu was in the area of utmost importance Abi had explained to Zeno. However, at the feast as the Lord introduced his daughters to King Hiryuu (the first daughter being of great and unusual beauty with prized blue eyes and rich mahogany hair while the second lingering in the background with elegant but standoffish poise), Zeno was beginning to wonder if this visit was perhaps planned for another purpose.

Not that Zeno particularly minded, as much as their King would dodge proposals, all of the Dragon Warriors knew that their king was going to be wed eventually (Guen often told King Hiryuu that a man of his stature should have a couple wives to his name and plenty of children besides, to King Hiryuu’s obvious embarrassment). It was as politics worked, Abi had explained to him with an indifferent shrug. And most likely Abi would know that far better than he, being the child of noble birth. But no matter what happened, Zeno could enjoy the luxuries that these Lords threw at their King as they, as much as their daughters, attempted to court him.

And so the next morning when Hiryuu quickly grabbed Zeno’s arm and yanked him from the quarters and into the gardens, muttering something about guarding or duties or something as the first daughter attempted to invite him to tea, Zeno couldn’t help but hide a laugh at Hiryuu’s flustered expression as they finally stopped their racing pace.

“My King, I don’t know if that was wise. You might only encourage,” Zeno said, peeking out from a bush as Hiryuu gasped as he rested his hands on his knees.

“One of the things I admire about humans is their tenacity. That woman is particularly gifted,” Hiryuu said with a quirking grin. “Well, considering we’re out here, would you mind coming with me to the stables. I wanted to check on our horses.”

“Of course I don’t mind,” Zeno said as he stretched his arms and smiled, “it’s such a nice day out too.”

“I agree,” Hiryuu hummed as they began to walk through the gardens.

The gardens were at the center of the compound, boasting Lord Taizo’s wealth in a way different from the luxurious feast and the other arrangements he had made upon their arrival. Rows and bushes of peonies and orchids and hydrangeas in extravagant colors were a feast for all the senses, and the center fountain piece was bubbling a tinkling melody into the midmorning air. However something other than the flowers suddenly caught Zeno’s eyes. A girl, to be more specific the second daughter of Lord Taizo whom Zeno believed was named Lady Aiko, sitting upon a bench reading. She was dressed far more modestly then her sister had been in her bright colors, instead opting for a dress of patterned greens and whites. Unlike her sister’s mahogany curls and blue eyes, the second daughter was in possession of a much more common beauty. Her hair being black as night tied loosely behind her, her eyes an equally dark and deep brown flitting up from the pages of her book, unreadable within a fair face composed mostly of elegant lines and highborn edges.

“Good morning, my lady,” King Hiryuu greeted with a bow that Zeno copied quickly. “How does this morning find you?”

Lady Aiko placed her book down upon her lap folding her pale fingers upon it like lily petals before looking up at Hiryuu with an intense gaze, her chin lifted high. 

“ _In some cases, the dew may evaporate first, while the flower remains—but only to be withered by the morning sun. In others the flower may wither even before the dew is gone, but no one expects the dew to last until evening_ ,” Lady Aiko recited before continuing to look upon King Hiryuu. “Would you happen to know to what I refer to?”

“I’m afraid, my Lady, I do not appreciate literature as I should,” King Hiryuu stated, though Zeno could tell a glimmer of something was sparked in his eyes. Lady Aiko just released a tired sigh.

“Perhaps you should, King Hiryuu. This line refers to the transient nature of humans and the structures to which we hold dear. No one expects either of those things to last. Forgive my forwardness, but in hypothetical, to say that a God would forsake his eternity to join human beings upon their crumbling plane could mean either one of two things to me. One option is, that God might have great confidence in his abilities, and to that I say that pride causes unfortunate wishes never to pass. Or the second option is that God was a stupid God, and even if that stupid God becomes a King, such stupidity will only be cured by death. So tell me, a God who forsakes heaven to join humans, is that God prideful or stupid?” Lady Aiko asked King Hiryuu seriously, causing Zeno’s jaw to drop. Looking to King Hiryuu, to Zeno’s surprise, he seemed thoroughly delighted.

“I would say that God is an idealist who believes the best in humans.” King Hiryuu offered and Lady Aiko scoffed.

“Ah, so that God is both prideful and stupid.”

“You have such a negative view of humans?”

“And of Gods, as humans form them in their image,” Lady Aiko clarified. “Tell me, are you a stupid and prideful God? Or just are you just a man?”

“I was a God, and now I am a man. And my ambitions are to create a country that will bring peace and prosperity to all people.”

“Ah, even better. Assuming there are Gods and you once were one who descended from the heavens, you were a stupid and prideful God who became an equally stupid and prideful human. How relieving to know that Gods are the same as men when they fall from the heavens,” Lady Aiko said before offering King Hiryuu a sharp looking that pierced through Zeno in its intensity even though he wasn’t the target. “I shall have you know, King Hiryuu, that unfortunately you shall find upon the Earth that things never work out for stupid Gods who become idiot-Kings. You are not the first in history, nor shall you be the last.” 

“Your father was right to warn me of your sharp tongue, Lady Aiko,” King Hiryuu laughed brightly and at King Hiryuu’s laugh redness bloomed in Lady Aiko’s cheeks and the tips of her ears.

“My father supports you, yes, but I do not support farces. He may say my tongue is sharp, but I take it upon myself to speak the truth as I find it. I detest humoring idiots!”

“Then please consider me enlightened, for I find your words both valuable and interesting. Prideful and stupid…yes, I do perhaps see your point. Not everything will work out my way, but I hope that they shall. If that is pride, then I am guilty. Equally, if joining humans in their toil and suffering was stupid, then I am indeed the dumbest person who ever existed upon this earth. However I find enjoyment still. Humans are quite amazing, and even if Gods are formed in their image, we can learn plenty still from being more like humans,” King Hiryuu suddenly interjected, his smile as bright and stunning as the midday sun.

Lady Aiko just looked befuddled, her slack jaw and disbelief in her expression most likely mirroring Zeno’s as she turned to him.

“Is this man mad?”

“Normally I don’t like to think so…but perhaps he is,” Zeno admitted with an awkward shrug. “You sort of get used to it and learn to like it though.”

“Oh Zeno, don’t tease me in that way,” King Hiryuu chided and Lady Aiko got up to brush her skirts.

“Well, I take my leave. I do not wish to subject myself to more of these ramblings,” Lady Aiko said with a curtsy as she began to walk away.

“I hope we can do it again sometime,” King Hiryuu chirped and Lady Aiko turned on her heel to face him yet again. 

“Do what?”

“Speak again! I would like to speak again to you sometime, if you would allow it. I found this exchange interesting, and I would like to do it again.”

“Do whatever you please,” Lady Aiko said with a roll of her eyes as she turned yet again and walked from the gardens.

Zeno saw his King’s eyes follow her for a moment before looking back at Zeno.

“Shall we go as well?” King Hiryuu asked, his cheer nearly blinding and causing the dragon blood within him to stir and sing.

“Ah…yes,” Zeno said distracted, following his King as he walked to the stables.

Perhaps, Zeno thought, King Hiryuu really was mad. Or in love. But then again, was there a difference?


	2. The Sparrow and The Dragon

“Aiko—“ Her younger brother said with a frown on his face before breaking off into a yelp as Aiko tightened her twist. Aiko just rolled her eyes at his petulance.

“You are to be in court today, Oki. I’ll not have you walking in with your hair going wild, no matter what you tell the servants,” Aiko warned as she twisted his brown hair into a bun and secured it.

“I have to be able to move my face in order to greet people!” Oki muttered, his arms crossed over his chest as Ruka giggled from the seat across from him.

“Come now, prince Oki-boo-boo. You’ve been excited to catch a glimpse of the dragon warriors for weeks!” Ruka teased and Oki’s face went as red as a bright tomato.

“I-I have not! And I don’t call me that!” 

“I know that you admire that idiot-King, Oki-chu dearling darling, but having your hair down doesn’t look stately if you refuse to comb it,” Aiko said, putting her hands on his hips as Oki stood up. Oki was gangly, as if arms and legs had grown longer while his body hadn’t quite caught up, his nose was too sharp and his lips were a slice too thin, and his hair stuck up in inexplicable cowlicks and had to be pulled back to even look usual. But Aiko knew that given a few years he would grow into his handsomeness, as most boys did. But for now, he was all limbs and no good sense to make up for it. 

“Stop—you know what? Forget it!” Oki said throwing his hands up, sulking and Aiko couldn’t help the smile that twisted her lips and escaped her.

“Aw, your royal majesty Oki-ki, don’t get mad!” Aiko teased as Oki’s face continued to flame.

“Stop calling me names!” Oki shouted.

“But you are adorable when you are mad!” Aiko said in return, with a laugh as Oki reached to throw a pillow which Aiko ducked under before blowing Oki a kiss in return. 

“I’ll be down for the court session, just leave!” Oki half spluttered out.

“See you there, Ok-Ok!” Ruka called playfully as she grabbed Aiko’s arm as they ducked from the room to escape the threat of more pillows and indignation from their younger brother. They both curtsied to the servants who tried to hide their own laughter and smiles. It was then that they both saw their father approach. They both looked down and curtsied deeply as their father sighed.

“Don’t tease your brother too much, my lovely daughters,” Lord Taizo chastised him, “no matter how entertaining it may be.”

“Of course, father,” Ruka promised. “But Oki does need to learn to cheer up.”

“…he would most likely be mad if I agreed with you,” Lord Taizo said with a grin shared between them, before reaching over to kiss both their brows. “Now both of you, Oki and I shall be at the council with the Lords. Our family was deeply honored to have been invited by King Hiryuu, and you know what I expect of both of you.”

“Yes father,” They both answered in unison, as their father’s eyes sparkled from behind his crooked nose and greying beard.

“Very well, make nice with the ladies of the castle, and I shall see you both later on. Now, let me see if I can wrestle your brother from his room,” Lord Taizo said, and Ruka pulled Aiko away and down the corridor. 

“Ruka?” Aiko asked as Ruka pulled Aiko into an emptied side corridor and smiled a secretive smile.

“So tell me, what has been going on between you and the king?”

“Going on?” Aiko asked just as confused. She thought back to the day before and garden and grimaced. “Nothing.”

“That face you made certainly doesn’t say nothing,” Ruka said, her blues eyes twinkling with excitement. “What is it?”

“He sat down to drink tea with me, inhaled it, and proceeded to burn his mouth,” Aiko explained with a scoff. “You think for someone who claimed to be a former Dragon God, he would be better with heated liquid. Lord Hakuryuu was in such a state of panic that he nearly dragged King Hiryuu to the court doctor as if King Hiryuu was on the cusp of death itself. I don’t believe I have ever seen something as ridiculous before in my whole life.”

Ruka suddenly burst out laughing and Aiko just stared at her as she clutched her sides and wiped away a tear,

“Aiko—by the Gods Aiko—I’m sorry! I’m sorry I shouldn’t laugh!”

“You are right, you shouldn’t laugh!” Aiko said, hands balled at her sides as her cheeks flamed. “I don’t even know what the point of it all was!”

Ruka’s brows suddenly knitted together as she blinked.

“Aiko, really?” Ruka asked of her, as if there was something Aiko wasn’t getting.

“What?” Aiko asked, feeling suddenly self-conscious. “What is it?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Ruka said, taking her arm again, smiling as if she had a secret. “I guess it’s time to go make nice with the ladies! Especially Lady An-Gi.”

“Oh Gods please no,” Aiko groaned. “I’m not even sure she knows how to read.”

“Oh she isn’t that bad, Aiko,” Ruka chided.

“Says you,” Aiko said with a roll of her eyes. “Yesterday she asked me what the difference between poetry and prose was.”

“Alright so she may be slightly bad, but she’s not too bad.”

“They all hate me, understandably. I dislike them too.” Aiko said heavily as she continued to walk with her sister.

“It’s because you don’t try to make yourself likable to them,” Ruka told her gently and Aiko just resisted the urge to snap.

“I shouldn’t have to try to make myself likable to anyone. Look at Oki! He’s as crotchety as they come and no one bothers him about it!”

“As ladies, we have different sorts of expectations.”

“Of course,” Aiko murmured as they made their way to the rooms where the ladies had most likely gathered for tea and idle talk. “Of course.”

Aiko sighed and fingered the book within her sash, preparing herself for a long morning.

* * *

Aiko was walking in the gardens later on towards the afternoon when out of the corner of her eye she caught a flash of gold by the fountain. She looked to see Lord Ouryuu sat cross legged in the grace, throwing scraps to squirrels. Slender and fair, he smiled at those little creatures with the warmth of the clinging vestiges of summer, as it warmed an autumn frost to melt. He couldn’t have been much older than Oki, but he had been chosen for such a task as guarding a king. How heavy, Aiko couldn’t help but think as she walked towards him. As soon as he noticed her, he stood up to bow,

“Good morning, Lady Aiko,” He greeted with cheer, and it was then that the otherworldliness of him wore off and she saw his face slightly smudged with dirt and a stray leaf caught in his hair. Aiko quickly reached to pluck the leaf from those wild golden locks.

“You should realize you are the companion of a King, no matter how odd. You should make sure you are presentable,” Aiko said, reaching within her sash to pull out her handkerchief and rub it on his cheek, for a moment brilliantly blue eyes widen before he closed them as his head was rocked to the rhythm of her wiping.

“Thank you, Lady Aiko, I’m sorry for making your handkerchief all dirty,” Zeno said, sounding as if he were a scolded child, his plain language making her pause for a moment before lifting it away when she was happy with her handiwork. 

“The function of a handkerchief is to be used, think nothing of it,” Aiko said shortly as she folded it neatly and placed it back. 

“What finds you here this afternoon, Lady Aiko?” Lord Ouryuu asked as he walked besides her (though he was practically skipping if she was being honest).

“I found myself developing a headache,” Aiko lied as easily as breathing, after all she could scarcely count how many times she had excused herself from the idle talk of ladies in that matter. “I thought a walk might do me some good.”

“You should make sure to sleep enough!” Lord Ouryuu said, “Seiryuu always gets headaches when he doesn’t sleep—”

“Your habit of blabbing on is quite unsightly, Ouryuu,” The cool tone of Lord Seiryuu came from the side of the garden. Aiko felt for a moment as if the breath was taken from her lungs at the sight of the famous golden eyes (truly, they were beautiful, but beautiful in the way a cat’s eye was as it looked upon birds from a window sill). She recovered quickly and curtsied as Lord Seiryuu bowed his head slightly, followed by the roguish Lord Ryokuryuu with his spear balanced on his shoulder, and the burley Lord Hakuryuu who bowed deeply.

“Lady Aiko,” Lord Hakuryuu said, his scaled hand glistening in the sun, “please the incident yesterday and my interruption of your meeting with our King.”

“Truly it was fine,” Aiko said pleasantly, drawing herself up to be as tall and stately as she could while surrounded by these nearly legendary men. Lord Ryokuryuu gave Aiko a sharp-toothed grin, with something akin to amusement glistening in his gaze.

“Ah, so I see our King is as clumsy as he is senile—OW!” Lord Ryokuryuu suddenly yelped as Lord Seiryuu elbowed him sharply in the side.

“Clumsy?” Aiko asked confused. “You mean with the tea?”

“Our King wasn’t having the easiest time yesterday,” Lord Hakuryuu said sheepishly.

“With drinking?” Aiko asked concerned. “I do not know if that should be a day-to-day issue.”

The dragons all shared an incredulous look, as if Aiko was saying something completely idiotic. Aiko felt her cheeks flame and her hackles raise,

“Well is something the matter or is it a joke I am not going to get?”

“There is nothing to joke about,” Lord Ouryuu said as if reminding the other dragons of something, to which they all seemingly looked away from Aiko, before blinking and then pulling out a letter. “King Hiryuu asked me to give this to your servants, but since we’ve met it might be best to just give it to you.”

And with the letter in her hand, and her feeling as if she had just stood through a windstorm, she watched as the dragons all bowed, and Lord Ouryuu half dragged Lord Ryokuryuu away and Lord Hakuryuu and Lord Seiryuu both shared worried looks. Aiko now looked at the half crumbled letter in her fisted hand before giving a look up to the sky.

What had that been about?

* * *

Aiko found herself seated in one of the tables within the King’s section of Hiryuu castle the next afternoon, as the letter had instructed her to appear. She had taken up reading as she usually did, as King Hiryuu arrived, his robes brushing the floor and with it clinging the colors of the dawn, and for a few moments Aiko let her eyes continue to sweep the page she was on before closing the book and beginning to get up, only to be paused by King Hiryuu’s hand.

“No need, please sit,” King Hiryuu told her with that easy smile of his. And so Aiko settled herself back down before King Hiryuu sat opposite of her. Out of the corner of her eye, she acknowledged Lord Hakuryuu’s shadow from the corridor before sighing.

“My brother caught a glimpse of Lord Hakuryuu at the meeting of the Lords and almost fainted,” Aiko told the air more than she addressed anyone in particular. “I think he should like to have a trinket.”

Lord Hakuryuu’s hearty chuckle came from outside, and King Hiryuu gave a soft laugh.

“My dragons are quite impressive and adorable are they not?”

“I’m not sure you could call a rag-tag group of men adorable, but whatever your view is should be suffices I suppose,” Aiko told him bluntly. Hiryuu’s lips quirked up as a servant came to serve them food, but Aiko held up her hand. “I am not hungry, for I already ate before appearing here. My King, next time you wish for me to eat with you, please specify such.”

The servant gawked at her and King Hiryuu blinked before turning to the servant with a gentle and soothing smile.

“Loquat wine then will suffice.”

“Tea,” Aiko said with a snap. “I do not drink during the day.”

“Then tea it is,” King Hiryuu said to the now nearly sweating servant who went off to fetch them what Aiko had asked for and returning just as quickly before excusing himself. King Hiryuu’s expression did not falter, but he did seem concerned as the cups remained untouched between them. “Forgive me, my lady, for making you feel uncomfortable. I meant no offense.”

“I am not uncomfortable,” Aiko huffed, knowing she was obviously uncomfortable but in no way willing to admit it. “I am…may I be forthright, your majesty?” 

“Of course,” King Hiryuu said without hesitation, and she followed his fingers for a moment as the smoothed over his robes, before flitting back up and willing herself to concentrate.

“Why is it that you keep calling me out?” Aiko asked him seriously.

For a moment King Hiryuu seemed to think on it, before meeting her gaze evenly. In that moment, perhaps for the first time, Aiko felt power within that gaze. But not a power that was threatening, but instead something dignified, something deep, and wise, and above all ancient. Truly those eyes, as violet as a clear twilight, were magnificent drops of the sky itself settled within a face sculpted with proud and handsome features. King Hiryuu was a beautiful man, though Aiko was unaccustomed to thinking men as beautiful. He was otherworldly, despite his insistence of his humanity. But perhaps divinity wasn’t as easily discarded as he seemed to think. Perhaps a sliver of heaven itself had made its way upon the earth within him. 

For a moment, Aiko felt incredibly plain. She was sure that next to his wild and brilliant beauty, she appeared to be a sparrow roosted next to a dragon. She knew that King Hiryuu couldn’t control such a thing, and she was not by any means ashamed. The sparrow had a quiet, unassuming dignity of its own. She was happy with herself, and her means. But why a dragon would willingly roost by a sparrow’s nest only continued to befuddle her.

“Lady Aiko,” Hiryuu nearly crooned, her name falling from his lips like a ripened fruit, slowly as if he was savoring it’s fall startled her from her thoughts, “is it so hard to believe that I like your company?”

“Yes.” Aiko blurted out embarrassingly fast, causing Hiryuu to laugh and Aiko to flush red and become incapable of human speech as her words stopped up in her throat.

“I enjoy our talks together very much,” King Hiryuu said, lifting his hand and reaching to hers that lay upon the table. He paused for a moment looking to her as if assuring she wouldn’t run away from him, as if she was the wild thing that he was afraid to touch and he was the human without the agency to ask. But Aiko didn’t move, even though her throat was dry and her cheeks were warm and she knew she reach for the tea to cleanse that thirst. Her fingers unwillingly twitched as his fingertips touched hers and she was so terribly frightened that he would find them sweaty. His touch came like summer’s heat, a wave that struck her and left her breathless and muddled. She found his hand so much bigger and more calloused then she had expected as its weight settled over her hand entirely human. Perhaps she had expected his hands to be different, but who knows how. But as their eyes met, and Aiko was subject to the storm of emotions overwhelming her, she couldn’t help but think that with his hand lightly squeezing hers that this was the realest Hiryuu had ever been to her, instead of the exalted King that she knew him to be. He was a man, and Aiko was suddenly hyperaware of it.

“My king, what is it that you want from me?” Aiko croaked, her stomach twisted into knots and her hand nearly trembling beneath the King’s. “I do not know. I do not know if I…”

“I do not want anything from you,” King Hiryuu said firmly. “Nothing except the time that you give freely to me, of your will. When I speak with you, my Lady, I feel as though I have gained something very important.”

“You are a fool,” Aiko said hotly. 

“As you have said before. I am a stupid God who became an idiot-King,” King Hiryuu said, with that smile of his as he removed his hand from hers and for a moment Aiko was grasped with the urge to reach her hand back out to capture his, but resisted. “Lady Aiko, will you accept something from me as a gift?”

“I do not like gifts with such weighty terms attached,” Aiko told him warningly.

“But will you still accept it?” King Hiryuu asked, not allowing her an inch.

“If it is something that I may repay.”

“And what if I desire no repayment?” King Hiryuu challenged.

“Even so, I would repay it,” Aiko returned. 

“Even if I didn’t wish to accept the repayment?”

“Then I would still do so, for my own sake rather than yours.”

“Even if that was selfish?”

“There is no act in this world that is not selfish. Someone’s self-interest is always at stake, and someone else is always trying to preserve it. That is human nature.”

“Do you not believe that people are moved by the plight of others?”

“We do not live in a philanthropist’s world, my king. You may say your justice is needed, your love is what is necessary, and your will is what is correct, but in the end it is what you do for your own self that is what defines you. That is the same for humans, as it is for the Gods that humans model after themselves.”

“Is that why,” King Hiryuu murmured, sounding so gentle, “you always look so sad, my lady?”

“Unfortunately it is the burden of those who think of these matters,” Aiko said, rejecting his softness as she nearly snarled, shaken at his observation.

“But still I wish to give you a gift, so that I may see you smile,” King Hiryuu told her with a hopeful expression.

“Perhaps you are my king, but you do not hold dominion over me, your majesty. My will is that of my own. I will not fold to you at your convenience like so many others,” Aiko warned him, lifting her cup but then placing it down as the tea within was nearly cold.

“And it is for that reason that I wish for you to accept it, of your own will,” King Hiryuu said boldly, and he held her gaze.

“You are indeed a stubborn man, my king,” Aiko told him.

“I am often told that by the dragons, you know,” King Hiryuu said fondly. “Especially Guen, he thinks that I always do too much.”

“My king, I will blunt again and say I do not have the patience for Gods. Perhaps that is sacrilegious of me, but I have always been of the opinion that gods to humans are both distant and close upon whims that suit them. I do not understand Gods, as no man can, and so I do not trust them,” Aiko explained as she met his look with her own. “But you, my king, I prefer you as a man then as a God. For to a man, I might be able to repay a gift.”

They sat looking at each other in silence, no an uncomfortable one, but one that held respect and understanding rather than tension. And that was when King Hiryuu said,

“Then I shall wait to give you it, until you believe you can repay it in turn.” 

“You might be waiting for long,” Aiko warned him as King Hiryuu lifted his cup to his lips.

“And I believe I am inclined to wait,” King Hiryuu told her, “if you will allow it?”

Aiko felt her lips tugging up despite herself as she said softly,

“Of course, my king.”


	3. To You, Who is My Parallel

Hiryuu was walking in the garden that morning when he saw her again.

She had certainly left an impression at that first meeting. Lady Aiko, the name was whispered amongst the court circles by both noble men and women in fear and an awed sort of reverence. Ladies like flocks of brightly winged butterflies in their expensive gowns desperately fluttered to the edges of rooms as Lady Aiko entered, as if she was the crow ready to pluck their wings. Noble men flounced and spluttered and desperately hid in the shadows like earthworms as if terrified of her sharp gaze that would snap them up from their hiding holes. She had lived up to the legend that had surrounded her, her voice like a knife, cutting through the pleasantries concealed within refined language to strike at the heart at all of his deeply held philosophies with little care of his pride. Her dark eyes, so cold and dry and apathetic (and yet sad, so very sad), had ripped through him and left him breathless.

In short, Lady Aiko had fascinated him. Wherever she walked (her steps quick and meaningful and almost jarring, as if trying to outrun everyone and yet carefully containing her internal chaos), he found that his gaze quickly followed after her. Lady Aiko had seemed like a force of nature, casting terror and confusion amongst those who so happened to cross her path.

That was until he had seen her with her siblings.

Her expression had changed, warmed through as if the first spring thaw had melted away the coldness from within. Her younger brother, a smart and yet awkward young man had been arguing with her wildly, and she had been speaking back just as passionately, and yet when she had reached out to brush an errant curl from his face her smile had full and sweet and in that moment she had seemed to be just a girl. When she linked arms with her sister, the fair and coveted Lady Ruka, giggles had escaped her lips like the bubbling stream released from the cracking ice. And yet when he had seen her later on alone, the sadness had returned, lingering to her like her own shadow.

It was those flashes, of something that lay deeper that made Hiryuu want to know. He wanted to know the deepness of her, the parts of her that she only showed to those who she deemed as worthy. He wanted to know if that smile would look as brilliant if it was turned onto him, what sort of laugh she would give him, and what other expressions she could make.

He found himself thinking of her often, slipping into thoughts of her when he most likely should have been thinking about different things. It was odd, for that had never happened to him before. But he wondered if it was just because he interacted with her father often, who reminded Hiryuu of Aiko in his forthright nature (though definitely of better humor), and settled upon that as the answer. However, when he spied her within the garden, something changed within him.

She was sleeping, which is what took him by surprise at first. Lady Aiko was so guarded, her hackles always raised, her eyes always alert and piercing, that seeing her relaxed was something of a total shock to his system. She lay beneath a tree, upon her back, her dark and rich hair unfurled around her, with strands brushing the paleness of her neck. A book beneath her fingertips which twitched within a dream, the other resting by her head. Her cheekbones and brow and chin all edges, while her breath escaped sleep-softened mouth and midmorning warmed cheeks. Her skin was fair, but beneath her eyes (which danced within a dream) were dark shadows as if nightmares had disturbed her sleep.

Perhaps, he couldn’t help but think as he bent by her as his hand reached out without his volition, it was those thoughts which moved in waves and patterns and swelled so quickly that kept her awake in the darkest hours of the night. His hand touched hers, and his heart leapt and his cheeks filled with heat at the feeling of the warmth and life (and yet her fingers were so small and strong, and she was so fragile and yet wild). How he wished, he wished so deeply, that he could ease those thoughts that roused her from sleep somehow. That he could offer her comfort and give her a reason to smile—

Suddenly he blinked and realized what he was doing and jumped back. His hand burned as if he had shoved it right into a flame (which he had done once in the beginning, and as he found out dragons and humans had very different tolerances to heat). He suddenly felt very aware of the sweat gathering at his neck and the twisting in his stomach, as he quickly walked from the gardens before breaking out into a run (half crashing into the wall and tripping over his feet through a door). He felt odd. For a moment he sat in his room and then beginning to pace, his heart racing within his chest, and his face and ears burning.

“My king?” Zeno’s concerned voice came from the hall. “I saw you running—my king are you ill? What happened?”

“I…I do not know,” Hiryuu said bewildered and concerned. “Zeno, am I ill? Is this what being ill is like?”

“What’s going on?!” Guen asked bursting into the room obviously from the training grounds based upon the sheen of sweat. “By the Gods, my King, your face is bright red!”

“We think he might be ill,” Zeno said, jabbing his arm forward to press against Hiryuu’s forehead.

“Well, what is it that’s wrong? What happened?” Shuten asked with Abi following him a few steps behind, seemingly as bewildered over the situation as they were, having rushed from the training fields (as evidenced by the bucket still awkwardly balancing by his hip). Hiryuu blinked and looked at his hand which still prickled before back up at the dragon warriors who had gathered in front of him.

“I don’t know,” Hiryuu said, “I saw her and then I—“

“You mean, Lady Aiko?” Guen asked before his mouth wrenched into a half smile and half-grimace. 

“I do.”

“My king there is a simple cure for this,” Shuten said walking up to him, before suddenly grabbing the bucket from Abi’s hands and immediately turning it upside down over Hiryuu’s head and immediately drenching Hiryuu with cold water.

“Ryokuryuu!” Guen half-gasped and half-shouted, Abi and Zeno mouths popped open, and Hiryuu just stood there, now sopping wet as Shuten gave Hiryuu a sharp-toothed smile. 

“My king, forgive me, but in these situations cold water always works,” Shuten said before bursting out into laughter. Abi immediately grabbed him by the ear and began dragging him from the room. “OW! Seiryuu!”

“You are the most incomprehensible, rude, and horrid man—!” Abi snapped, as Zeno covered his mouth, his face turning bright red as he obviously tried not to start laughing but failed while Guen reached over to Hiryuu’s things find Hiryuu something to dry himself with. Hiryuu just continued to stand there, certainly feeling cold, but perhaps clearer than he had all day because suddenly things made sense to him.

“Are you alright, my king?” Guen asked as a towel was draped over his shoulders, and Hiryuu smiled at him so widely his mouth hurt.

“Guen, Zeno, Abi, Shuten,” Hiryuu said, causing Abi and Shuten to pause at the door and all of them to look at him, “it appears that I am in love. Whatever should I do?”

“It took you long enough, you dense king.” Abi said with a roll of his eyes, letting go of Shuten’s ear, allowing him to stand up and rub it.

And it was at that moment that desperate feet running down the corridor made all of them pause.

* * *

Lady Aiko sat upon the bench she so often did, a book open, not even looking up at him as Hiryuu took the seat next to her. She was dressed that day modestly, as she always did, with cream colored dress, her show of wealth within the green embroidered sash and details, and the comb shaped of trailing flowers half pinning her hair. Her elegant profile highlighted by the sun, bringing out the lighter shades of brown within her dark hair, her eyes flitted up, dark eyelashes nearly brushing pale skin, and met his with a sort of single-minded intensity that Hiryuu had come to expect.

“Here to try to give me my promised gift, my king?” Lady Aiko asked, her expression neutral and her dark eyes revealing none of her thoughts to him as she closed the book and placed it upon her lap.

“Only if you will accept it,” Hiryuu told her, “though I mostly came because I am hiding from my duties at the present moment.”

“You are the king, it is to be expected you are busy,” Lady Aiko said without sympathy.

“Your words are as direct as ever, Lady Aiko,” Hiryuu could not help but laugh (despite the lingering pain of the news he was certain to give).

“And yet you still seek me out,” Lady Aiko said shortly.

“Because I enjoy spending time with you,” Hiryuu reminded her and she only gave him an incredulous look in return.

“My king, did you hurt your head grievously when you fell from the heavens? Or is it just in your nature to be masochistic?” Lady Aiko asked hotly, causing a flood of laughter to burst out from behind his lips.

“I don’t know!” Hiryuu gasped between bouts of laughter which in return caused Lady Aiko’s face to flush red to her roots, “I suppose I might have! But did you know, my lady, that though I am not certain, but before I became a human I had never laughed? When I first laughed like this, I laughed until my sides ached and I couldn’t breathe and yet it was the loveliest thing! I had never experienced the exquisite and yet excruciating sensation of crying before I became a human. And I remember my eyes burning and then tears fell down my cheeks—and I thought tears would be cold but they were so warm—and I sobbed and it hurt and yet there was something so releasing about it. And when I talk with people, I get the most wonderful rush of joy, even if they do not agree just as we don’t. I feel, Lady Aiko, in ways I could have never have expected. And somehow, being human is perhaps the most divine, which is why I wish to help make humans happy in any way I can. Becoming a human only assured me of my resolve.”

“There is nothing honorable or noble about being human, just as there is nothing divine in this world,” Lady Aiko told him firmly. “Your words are empty to me.”

“And so we disagree.”

“We are parallel and shall never meet on the matter,” Lady Aiko told him, and edge of panic in her voice.

“Even if we are parallel, I say to you that everything has a meaning.”

“It doesn’t matter! Why don’t you understand that it doesn’t matter?” Lady Aiko demanded she said, standing up, her book falling to the ground as she took willful strides forward as she put distance between them. She hugged herself, trying to protect herself desperately from something that Hiryuu didn’t know.

“My lady, if I have said something that insulted you that was not my intention,” Hiryuu tried to soothe her, but she shook her head as if he was missing something inherently obvious. She was silent for a few moment before finally breaking it.

“…why don’t you understand? You say you do not want anything from me but me, but I have nothing that I can give you. You say you wish to give to me, while knowing I cannot accept. You make no sense! You are throwing me into turmoil and I hate it! No good can come of pursuing me, so just leave me alone!”

He stood, but did not approach. He would not approach until he received her permission to.

“My lady, is the reason your eyes are so sad, because you care for everyone else before yourself?” Hiryuu asked her, causing her shoulders to stiffen.

“I care for no one but myself,” Lady Aiko said, her voice cracking. “I told you that I believe that everyone in this world is selfish, and I am no exception. That’s why it would be for the best if you just left me alone.”

“We both know that isn’t true, I’ve seen how your family adores you,” Hiryuu told her firmly. “You care so deeply that it hurts you. You cannot stand for people to be tricked or hated, which is why you originally despised me because you thought I was lying—“

“I still hate you and think you are lying!” Lady Aiko said whirling around, completely indignant, she was shaking in rage as if the floodgates that had been carefully buffering her emotions from the world had burst. “Create a country that suits the nobility of human beings?! What sort of idiotic talk is that? Humans are vile and they hurt others with every breath! Even if they didn’t, warring for peace is the most hypocritical thing my ears have ever been insulted with! You, everything about you, I just…I don’t understand a single thing about you because you are so incomprehensible, and I just can’t stand it!”

“My lady, do you really hate me?”

“I do,” Lady Aiko snapped back at him indignant.

“Well even if you do, even if you cannot understand me because we are parallel, I will not stop trying to find a way to reach you.”

“It’s impossible because we’ll never meet!”

“Even if we don’t, I do not care,” Hiryuu told her with heat in his own voice. “I do not care! For, before I even came to understand it myself, you became important to me. That’s why, if you really do hate me and want to never see me again then I will happily comply with your wishes because I care for you and do not wish to cause you distress. If that’s what you desire from me, then I will do so happily. But my lady, I will always continue to admire your courage and strength and heart.” 

“Why are you doing this?” Lady Aiko demanded of him. “Why?”

“My lady, I am leaving for war yet again and I wished for my feelings to be made clear before I did,” Hiryuu finally admitted, causing the color in Lady Aiko’s face to drain away. “Forgive me, for this wasn’t the way I wished for it to be admitted. A tribe in the north has begun a siege. And so I must fight for peace yet again.”

For a few moments Lady Aiko stayed still and pale before saying,

“And my father rides with you. My father is going to war with you, isn’t he?”

“Lord Taizo is. He is one of my staunchest supporters, and your home is close to where the siege is beginning. You, your sister, and your brother will be staying here at my castle as we deal with the threat.”

“You will not take my father from me!” Lady Aiko demanded, reached out to grab him by his robes, and for a moment Hiryuu himself was taken aback by the raw unbridled rage in her face, burning through those dark eyes of hers and her shaking hands. “Do you hear me, you will not let my father die! My siblings and I have no one else, and you will not let him die!” 

“Upon my life, I do swear I will not let your father die,” Hiryuu told her, and suddenly as if her rage had been the only thing supporting her, she suddenly tripped backwards and her legs gave out. She sat on the ground, her hands pressed to her face as heartbreaking sobs rose from her. Hiryuu, before he could think about what exactly he was doing he was on the grass with her, and he reached out to hold her.

She went still as his arms wrapped around her, bringing her as close to him as he could. Hiryuu knew that Abi, Shuten, Guen, and Zeno all felt warmed and comforted by his touch, but Hiryuu knew not how much that would apply to humans not bound by contracts of blood. For a few moments she sat there completely stiff and still, before suddenly she leaned against him, her hands falling to her sides, her head pressed against his shoulder as if finally giving into her exhaustion.

“Please…don’t take from me all that gives me happiness,” Lady Aiko’s voice was so little, barely above a whisper, but it broke his heart in a way he had only experienced once before. “I am not so strong that I can bare it.”

“You are stronger than you think,” Hiryuu promised her, pressing his mouth to the crown of her head, perhaps in something like a kiss. “But I will not make you go through it.”

“You know nothing about me,” Lady Aiko told him. “I am not a good person, my king.”

“You are caring, and fierce, and you are always putting others before yourself. Of course, there are many, many parts of your personality that I do not know. I wish to discover them. I wish to know you, my lady. Because I’m—“

Suddenly her hand pressed over his mouth harshly and shoved, causing him to slightly jerk back and to have to show his arm behind him to catch his weight. She looked up, her face was blotchy and her eyes were red from crying, but her expression was defiant.

“Don’t. You do not get to say that to me. Not now,” Lady Aiko told him, her eyes dark and still full of anger and yet something softer. “I will not be waiting for you, do you understand? I’m not the type woman who will be waiting for you to return here after such a terrible thing like taking my father away. But if you get yourself and my father killed, you better hope there is no such thing as an afterlife because you will suffer, do you understand? I hold a heavy grudge and you do best not to cross me. So you best come back alive and with my father, do you understand me?”

Hiryuu took her hand from his mouth and kiss her knuckles, Lady Aiko’s cheeks flaming.

“After I return, with your father healthy and alive, will you allow for me to court you openly, my lady?”

“If you come home with my father healthy and alive, I might consider it. But it will take more from you for me to allow it,” Lady Aiko said standing up and brushing out her skirts with her free hand as if her display of emotion had been an errant breeze ruffling her hair, but not taking her hand from his grasp as she looked at him evenly. “Do you believe me to be a cheap woman who falls for any man who so does her one kindness? And even so, a kindness to which he is already obligated to her? Don’t make me laugh, my king. To court me, you will have to be able to perform miracles you can only do if you are alive.”

“That is the only response I would ever expect, my lady,” King Hiryuu said, pressing another kiss there with her opinion before letting go of her hand. “My lady, allow me to convince you once I return with the kingdom more strong and united than ever before. I shall protect this kingdom and you and those you care for with all my heart and soul. Allow this to be the first of the rest of the things I prove to you and promise to you.”

“I doubt you have the ability to prove me wrong,” Lady Aiko told him gently as he got up.

“Perhaps I don’t. But even if we never agree on somethings, I would never wish to clip your wings. I wish for you to be free to think and feel however it is you feel, to always be as honest and strong and pure, and for us to disagree and yet always meet together. The world that makes this possible is the one I love, and it is the you who is so proud that I love, my Lady.”

“I told you not to say it,” Lady Aiko told him, an odd sort of smile working its way onto her mouth. Her eyes were still swollen and her face still stained with tears, and yet she stood before him with her shoulders squared.

Hiryuu blinked. Oh, oh he had said it hadn’t he?

“Forgive me this one time, I find that being in love has made me bold. Is this always how it goes?” Hiryuu asked, tipping his head to the side.

“You are asking the wrong person, for I have never experienced anything like this before, my King,” Lady Aiko admitted with a deadpanned expression. “But I am sure the answer is no.” 

“Ah, really? Well, Abi did tell me that I should handle this with delicacy, but I’ve found that I am more hot-blooded then I believed myself to be today,” Hiryuu pointed out before smiling at Lady Aiko. “I’m always learning new things when I am together with you and I am very grateful for it.”

“Really, are you sure your head is on correctly, my king? I am worried for your health.”

“My lady, do not tease me in such a way!” Hiryuu said, unable to help his pout. “It very much did hurt when I fell but I am absolutely fine now! This and that are totally different situations.”

“I am sure they are wholly related, my king,” Lady Aiko said turning upon her heel and pausing, her back facing him so he could not see her expression. “Please take good care of my father, do you understand? I am leaving him in your care.”

“And I will return as promptly as possible with that promise fulfilled,” Hiryuu promised, watching her walk away before returning to attend his war council.

And for a moment he smiled, and knew that no matter what he would fulfill this promise at least.


	4. Strategies of Engagement

“My King, I would like to speak to you on something of importance,” Lord Taizo said, popping his head into Hiryuu’s tent.

The battle had been fierce, but the northern invaders had been repulsed mostly in part because of Lord Taizo’s troop’s moral and his strategy on the battlefield. By coordinating a fake retreat, he managed to coax the northern tribes from their advantageous position on the hill, which allowed for both Shuten and Abi to get behind the group and take out their archers with ease. It had been stunning as well as a complete victory.

Hiryuu could see clearly, beyond Lord Taizo’s ambivalent and humoring nature, was the sort of outrageous intelligence and calculating cunning. It was that very cool cunning which had brought him to prominence in the previously barren region where he had lorded, by his eye at both business and military. Hiryuu was keenly aware of Lord Taizo’s power, and was very glad that he was on his side rather than facing against him. Men such as Lord Taizo were the type of human who were best heeded rather than contested against, even with the Four Dragon Warriors by his side (just as his daughter, Hiryuu couldn’t help but think).

Hiryuu waved Guen, who bowed and then left his tent. Hiryuu raised a jar of liquor with a smile,

“Would you like a drink in celebration?” King Hiryuu asked, pouring himself a glass.

“It would do me well,” Lord Taizo said with a jovial chuckle, taking the other glass and pouring some for himself, before raising it. “To you, my liege, and your overwhelming victory upon the field of battle.”

“And to you, Lord Taizo, the greatest strategist of the age,” Hiryuu said raising his glass in return before taking a sip of the liquor.

“My King, allow me to speak plainly,” Lord Taizo stated rather than asked.

“Of course.”

“Did you plan on telling me of your courtship with my daughter? Or perhaps your intentions were something different,” Lord Taizo said with a smile that reached nowhere near his eyes. Hiryuu, unsurprised at the question but perhaps taken aback by the fierceness in his eyes. But then again, if a father was uncaring towards his own daughters, Hiryuu doubted such children could be fostered.

“My intentions with your daughter are courtship,” Hiryuu answered bluntly. “To be more precise, I am in love with Lady Aiko and have most likely been in love with her for a while now. We spoke, and I made my intentions clear, but she would not allow me to be forthright until I returned you from the front unharmed.”

Lord Taizo heaved an extremely heavy sigh, before tipping back his cup and downing his drink in a single swig and reaching to refill his cup as a riot of hardy laughter welled up from deep within his belly.

“How very much like my daughter! I see, I understand the situation now,” Lord Taizo said drinking his second cup. “So, you are in love with my daughter, eh? My Aiko? Please tell me what about Aiko made you fall in love with her.” 

“What made me fall in love with Aiko?” Hiryuu asked aloud more to himself then to Lord Taizo, before touching his chin in thought. “It’s a strange thing, because I have never been in love before. But if I had to say what exactly, it would be difficult. I fell in love with her because she challenges me with her thoughts, she heeds to no one and no opinion unless it satisfies her completely. She is steadfast in both caring and her feelings. Lady Aiko never lies, nor does what is convenient for convenience’s sake. She is thoughtful, and independent, and pure as a river. She is…conflicted but she isn’t. I don’t believe I am making much sense am I? But I believe the reason I fell in love with Lady Aiko is, because she is so herself.”

“If you had told me you fell in love with her beauty, or her grace, I wouldn’t have believed you for a second,” Lord Taizo said honestly. “But I, more than anyone, knows that Aiko is a difficult but wonderful person.”

“She is,” Hiryuu agreed.

“To be honest, my king, I never believed I would end up in this position, as my daughter’s prospects were never good. Especially between you and Aiko, considering her rather well-known disbelief. But beyond being fierce, my daughter is undeniably fragile,” Lord Taizo said softly. “She keeps herself guarded, and has only ever let a rare few into her heart. Love in itself is becoming vulnerable. And I sometimes worry, that being vulnerable is something Aiko will not allow for herself.”

“Fragile?” Hiryuu asked. “She has never struck me as fragile, but her sadness is palatable.”

“The curse of our family,” Taizo said with another swig. “Melancholy clings to us.”

“Melancholy?” Hiryuu asked Lord Taizo before he seemingly just shrugged off his question and looked at the liquor in his glass.

“My king, I shall return home to my family. As such the obligation that my daughter placed you under will be fulfilled. As you have stated your intentions to me and I accept, please consider yourself engaged to my daughter at the moment Aiko agrees to enter into an engagement with you and we will move forward with the engagement,” Lord Taizo told him, placing down his cup and bowing his head. “I love my children, for they are a part of me that is more precious than anything. Truly all my children are my greatest treasure. Promise me you will love her and do well by her. Swear to me, for I know Aiko can care for herself, but swear to me you will love her.”

“I shall love her and honor her for the rest of my life,” Hiryuu promised Lord Taizo. “That I promise you.”

Lord Taizo left and Hiryuu sighed and leaned back, just as he saw Guen, Shuten, Abi, and Zeno stick their heads in. Shuten holding a giant bottle of sake, Guen holding what looked like rice, Abi with a smirk on his face, and Zeno just looking more amused then anything.

“Congratulations!” Guen said with a hearty laugh, shoving the rice at him.

“Seriously, what good news for our resident clueless-king. A warm bed does wonders,” Shuten said as he sat himself down to begin to pour some wine.

“Perhaps the maturity will help you,” Abi said with equal jest in his voice, while Zeno’s face was red at the other’s suggestion. Hiryuu looked between the Dragon Warriors, knowing he was obviously not getting.

“A…warm bed?” Hiryuu asked them all.

The Dragon Warriors all shared a look before Guen cleared his throat,

“My king, forgive the euphemisms. We are…referring to the marriage nuptials.”

“I…am not understanding,” Hiryuu was saying as he scratched his head. It was then that Shuten began to laugh so hard that he coughed up his sake before grabbing his gut.

“My king, are you being serious?” Abi asked concerned.

“I am being very serious,” Hiryuu said feeling quite awkward.

“Listen, idiot-king, once you get married you have sex,” Shuten said before demonstrating what he mean by slamming the heel of one hand into the other. Abi immediately lifted up his leg and gave Shuten a well-meaning kick to the side. “OW!”

“I…are you referring to the act of reproducing?” Hiryuu asked them all seriously. “What does that have to do with marriage?”

“My king, it’s customary for humans to…consummate the marriage the night after,” Zeno explained seemingly wishing to disappear into the ground.

“So…once you are married you are expected to reproduce?” Hiryuu asked them. “But…that is only if Lady Aiko wished for children.”

“My king, humans don’t just engage in such activities to reproduce,” Guen said rubbing the back of his neck. “Though, partially yes. But…”

“It feels good, basically the best feeling,” Shuten said with a sharp-toothed grin.

“So humans engage in mating activities with the opposite gender because they are pleasurable?” Hiryuu asked curiously.

“Well it doesn’t need to be for reproduction. There are ways to avoid such things,” Guen said, before Abi just shrugged. 

“You can do so with the same gender as well,” Abi pointed out causing both Guen and Zeno to stare at him and Shuten to throw back another drink. “What? It’s true.”

“Do you…do you think that is something Lady Aiko would wish for?” Hiryuu could help but ask.

“Only if you are good at it,” Shuten added in and this time causing Guen to smack him upside the head.

“I think we need to have a talk,” Guen said with a heavy sigh.

* * *

The palace upon the return of Hiryuu and his company hummed with news over Hiryuu’s impending engagement. His advisers were nearly over the moon, considering Lord Taizo’s power and the prospect of tying himself with such an influential family. However, Hiryuu was anxious because he had yet to see Lady Aiko or the rest of her family since they had returned. However as Hiryuu walked the hall to where Aiko and her family had been staying within Hiryuu castle, he hoped he could speak with her.

Lady Ruka stood in the hallway, dressed in pink and purple silks, her chestnut brown hair loose. Her eyes flitted up to meet his, blue and clear, as she curtsied before him.

“Good day, my king,” Lady Ruka said her voice warm and yet tentative. “Are you here to see my sister?”

“If she will allow me to see her, then yes,” Hiryuu said cautiously, as Lady Ruka leaned against the wall of the castle.

“You have brought home our father, and for that I am eternally grateful,” Lady Ruka said before a desperate fire was lit within that gaze. “But please do not hurt my sister. She cares for me, and my brother Oki. I know that in society, perhaps, I have a place. Aiko doesn’t because she is so damn obstinate about doing things her own way. But Aiko has something. Something within her beyond me. She sees the world, she sees poetry in the trees and equations in the stars, and I do not understand a single lick of it but she loves me anyways and I love her. Even if she is strange and melancholic and has a foul temper and a sharp tongue and is horrendous to deal with in the mornings, I love her. She is difficult and talented and she is hurting and sometimes we argue and she hurts me, but I love her. And she will love you, love you so deeply that she would do anything to make you happy. That is the way Aiko loves. She loves with her whole heart, and I may never reach her depth because in the end no one in this world is like Aiko. But please, please care for her. Promise me that you will care for her.” 

“If every person in this world had a family like yours, the world certainly would have no need for a king like me,” Hiryuu told her honestly. “I promise, that I will care for her. That I love her for all the reasons you love her, and that I may try to make her happy.”

For a moment they looked on at each other, before Lady Ruka closed her eyes as if pacified. 

“Thank you, my king,” Lady Ruka breathed out, before motioning to the door next to her before walking down the hall away from him.

Hiryuu took a breath before entering the room where Aiko had been staying. She sat by the window to the garden, reading as always. For a moment he stood there, feeling as if all the breath had been stolen out of his lungs as she closed her book and met his gaze with an unreadable expression.

“Close your mouth please, the way you are staring is unnerving,” Lady Aiko told him promptly, causing him to chuckle.

“Forgive me, my lady, but it is wonderful to see you again,” Hiryuu said stepping to close the space between them.

“Both my father and sister said unnecessary things to you,” Lady Aiko said closing her book and placing it on the table as she stood

“I would hardly call what they spoke to me about unnecessary,” Hiryuu pointed out to her. “They love you, and want what’s best for you.”

“More like warning you of me,” Lady Aiko chuckled.

“Not at all, my lady,” Hiryuu said softly.

“I…I am glad you returned safe,” Aiko admitted sounding more annoyed then anything.

“And yet you sound displeased,” Hiryuu couldn’t help but chuckle.

“It is silly of me to be worried when you have those warrior-beasts guarding you,” Lady Aiko huffed. “Of course I knew you were going to be fine, of course, but I…”

Her voice trailed off and hung in the air as she hugged herself as he found she did so often. It was her nervous habit, Hiryuu was coming to realize. The way she shifted and hugged herself and turned away as if admitting something to herself that she would rather not. But no words came, and she looked to the floor obstinately as if it had insulted her. Just below the surface Hiryuu was sure a storm riled within her, conflicting things that Lady Aiko could not express. So instead, Hiryuu reached across the gap to touch her hand. She tensed up as he held her hand in his, lifting it up to kiss her knuckles.

“I missed you, my lady,” Hiryuu told her honestly. Lady Aiko’s face flushed, her dark eyes filled with an unrecognizable emotion, somewhere in the cross-hairs of relief and frustration.

“I…I am still mad,” Aiko whispered, “I’m still angry with you.” 

“I know,” Hiryuu told her, “I was not expecting your forgiveness right away.”

“But…despite that I am thankful you are safe,” Aiko told him.

“My lady, your father has approved of my intentions,” Hiryuu said to her, “and you know that I am in love-”

“Hush!” Lady Aiko said as she pressed her hands to her face, “When you…when you say that it’s embarrassing!”

“Embarrassing?” Hiryuu asked bewildered as he took a step forward.

“It’s embarrassing!” Lady Aiko said, before he reached to touch her shoulders, coaxing her with his touch to remove her hands from her face. She was flushed up to her roots and the tips of her ears. “I’m not good at this sort of thing and it’s embarrassing!”

“Well, I have never done this before either,” Hiryuu told her with a laugh.

“But you are good at feeling things!” Lady Aiko said back, waving her arms. “I am terrible at these sorts of things!”

“I didn’t fall in love with you because of your delicate and sensitive side,” Hiryuu told her and she nearly hissed.

“I told you to stop, it’s embarrassing!”

“I did fall in love with your intelligence, and wit, and cunning, and your eyes and that rare smile—“

“I swear if you do not stop I…I’ll throttle you, you idiot-king!” Lady Aiko cried, grabbing Hiryuu by the robes and starting to shake him. Hiryuu used this opportunity to wrap his arms around her and hold her, making Aiko stiffen for a moment of obvious panic before relaxing against him, her head against his chest, her body against his. He held her in that moment, and Hiryuu felt himself sigh as he rested his chin upon the crown of her head. This was pure comfort.

“My lady, would you do me the honor of marrying me?” Hiryuu asked, trying to pull away however Lady Aiko’s grip kept him close as she mumbled something against his chest. “What?”

“I said yes,” Aiko said harshly as she turned her head. “Yes.”

Hiryuu felt as if something inside of him was being wrenched out, some secret part of him that he couldn’t have ever known before that moment.

“My King,” Lady Aiko said lifting her head finally to reveal her flushed skin.

“Yes?” Hiryuu breathed, as she grasped his robe in an action he was shocked to find as shy.

“Shall…shall we kiss, my king?” Lady Aiko asked him, her face softened with something akin to yearning. His mind at that moment went blank and in response to his surprise she blinked. “My king?”

“You…you wish to?” Hiryuu asked, his throat uncomfortably dry.

“I am to be your wife, am I not?” Lady Aiko asked before reaching out to tuck his hair behind his ear, the feather light touch sending shivers down his spine (in the very best way).“It would be troublesome if I had no experience until our wedding night.”

“Experience?” Hiryuu asked, feeling as if warmth was spreading through his chest and creeping up his throat as the suggestion.

“Do you think I’m the type of person to have ever taken lovers before?” Lady Aiko asked Hiryuu bluntly.

“To be honest, no.”

“If it wasn’t the truth I might be offended,” Lady Aiko said reaching up to grasp his nose and squeeze it playfully. Despite her neutral expression the sudden action took him more off guard then anything she could have said until she spoke again, “I do not mind if you have them.”

“What?” Hiryuu half choked.

“Do you think me naïve?” Lady Aiko said with a quirk of the brow. “You are a king, it is only natural for you to have a concubine or two. I am quite tolerant of adultery, though if it ever became serious don’t expect to be lonely after death because the women you play with will be sent to the afterlife right after you. That is the sort of agreement you accepted when you thought of marrying me.”

“I would never be unfaithful to you, and you know I have never been in love with another woman,” Hiryuu said shocked.

“Love doesn’t really have much to do with it, and that is good because I do not believe in an afterlife anyways. I would rather not deal with the moral conundrum.”

“I promise have never been with another woman, and also you do realize murder is illegal in my kingdom don’t you?” Hiryuu clarified plainly and for a moment Lady Aiko gave him a look as if saying, please let us drop the act, before just sighing.

“I very much realize is, but I am just saying that I am capable of anything. I am just making sure you are prepared.”

“My lady, I am sure a thousand battlefields would not prepare me for your scorn, as such I will do my best to avoid it, not that I haven’t been doing so already.”

“Well I am glad to hear so,” Lady Aiko asked him looking up to him again. “My king, will you kiss me? Please?” 

It was at that moment that Hiryuu did what his instincts had been begging him to. Cupping Aiko’s face in his hands, relishing the sensation of her warmed cheeks against his palms. He held her there for a moment, their foreheads touching, her breath stirring his lips and thrilling him, before finally he leaned down to seal their mouths.

Ah, he thought as he slipped his hands to rest upon her hips and her fingers stroked the back of his neck, so this was a kiss. He wished to drink this moment in, to take it into himself completely and immortalize it somewhere.

Too soon, far too soon he needed to breath. Hiryuu pulled away, his lips trembling, his body set ablaze, his mind clouded. He felt slightly faint, as if the faintest breeze would cause him to pitch and tumble. By the heavens, Hiryuu couldn’t help but think as he rocked back on his heels, if that’s what humans always felt it was no wonder they did that often.

“Perhaps you were telling the truth,” Lady Aiko murmured, her face still flushed as she pressed her fingers upon her own lips.

“What?” Hiryuu asked, feeling still faint.

“You were terrible at that and your lips are dry,” Aiko told him bluntly and Hiryuu couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You do me no favors, my love,” Hiryuu said sheepishly.

“But…it didn’t feel too awful,” Lady Aiko said as she continued to trace her lips, “and with a little practice it might even feel nice.”

“Are you asking me to kiss you again?” Hiryuu asked, perking up at the prospect. “I certainly wouldn’t be opposed.”

“I am not!” Lady Aiko squeaked indignant as she immediately pulled her hand away from her mouth as if she had been caught sneaking sweets, as Hiryuu wrapped his arms around her again and squeeze.

“I would be happy to kiss you as many times as you would like,” Hiryuu chirped before Aiko grabbed his ear and pulled. “Ow! My lady, I need that to hear with!”

“You were the one who fell in love with me,” Lady Aiko told him without sympathy, before Hiryuu bent down to press another kiss to her lips. She melted for a moment, returning the sweet, soft kisses, before she pulled back and pushed on his chest until he backed up out of the room, and as soon as she let go he tripped backwards onto his behind. Lady Aiko stood in the doorway bright red, utterly flustered and overwhelmed. “I am not about to have my head muddled about by your sweet talk—or—or anything else! You are going to stay out there you idiot-King!”

The door was slammed behind her, and Hiryuu couldn’t help but laugh.


	5. Planning and Theoreticals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I shall have you know, King Hiryuu, that unfortunately you shall find upon the Earth that things never work out for stupid Gods who become idiot-Kings. You are not the first in history, nor shall you be the last.” Everyone knew it was to be that King Hiryuu was to be wed, but who the first Queen of Kouka would be was the surprising part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! The next chapter of the saga of Aiko/Hiryuu is here for your viewing pleasure! Thank you to everyone who has kept up with the series and I hope you enjoy this next installment!

Aiko felt as if she had just dozed off when her sister awoke her from her sleep, which in all honesty might have been true as she found her face still half planted in a book, candle wax still dripping onto holder as if just recently burnt out.

“Leave me alone to rot!” Aiko snapped at her sister as her sister opened her blinds, as Aiko was sure the maids cowered in hallways as they did on her bad days. Aiko didn’t care that moment as she attempted to rebury herself in her sheets.

“Oh stop your dramatics!” Ruka chided, pulling off her sheets before giving an incredulous look. “You haven’t left your room in a day, and you look like you haven’t slept.”

“That is because I haven’t. Gods know that I would rather be asleep then awake!” Aiko huffed, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Her head ached fiercely, the steady drum of her heart pounding against the innards of her head, the light pulsing and making her ill.

“Why didn’t you sleep?” Ruka asked concerned.

“Because I am going insane that’s why!”

“What’s finally done you in?” Oki asked from the door, a snarky grin stretched across his face. At Ruka’s look he huffed, “What? She was going down that way, anyways!”

“Get out of here right now!” Aiko said half jumping out of her bed, pushing Oki out and causing him to nearly trip out, before she slammed the door behind her after her brother’s squawk.

“Well, it had better be important because we’ll be hearing about that all day,” Ruka laughed before approaching Aiko. Ruka’s expression was soft and gentle, and Aiko wondered how anyone could be like that when she was wound up so tight that she was sure she would snap. “What is it? You can tell me anything, you know that right?”

Aiko immediately leaned against the wall, pressing her face to the stone to cool and ground her.

“We kissed,” Aiko finally admitted out loud.

“You did?” Ruka asked, as if her breath had been stolen away before taking Aiko’s hands and leading her to her seat as if she was a child. “How wonderful, Aiko.”

“It isn’t wonderful,” Aiko said mournfully as her sister lifted her comb and began to rake through her hair. “Don’t you understand? I’ve been…shaken up.”

“Shaken up how?”

“My head…normally everything goes in an order. But now nothing makes sense, he’s muddled me up. I can’t stop thinking about it, and it’s making me so anxious,” Aiko admitted. “King Hiryuu said he loves me, but I don’t know how I feel.”

“Do you dislike him?” Ruka asked her gently as she began to braid.

“I don’t dislike him,” Aiko said immediately, and just as soon as she closed her eyes she swore she could feel his gentle, warm lips brushing her knuckles, the ghost of his lips on hers. She had wished for them to stay there longer, to linger. She bit the inside of her cheek to rouse herself from the daydream. “I…I did dislike him in the beginning. I thought him a fool. But I’ve seen it. I’ve seen how deeply he cares. Even if I disagree with him, how can one not admire a man who bares his heart like that? And he loves me, he loves me and it makes me feel like I never have before. But I…I do not know. I do not know. My mind is crawling and it keeps me up at night.”

“Aiko,” Ruka said, her steady hands keeping her from delving into her panic. Aiko nearly jumped off the chair, her hair half undone as she began to pace frantically.

“I’m such a fool! I was the one who asked to be kissed! I’m the one who agreed to marry him! I am so—so—damn it I don’t even have the words, Ruka! I frustrate myself!” Aiko said stamping her foot into the ground to vent. “It was just a kiss or two! Thousands upon thousands of people have kissed or been kissed before, it isn’t an anomaly of nature! Why is it such a thing throws me into a panic?”

“Because you are new at this, Aiko,” Her sister said, sounding slightly impatient. “Who says you have to know exactly how you feel? By the Gods, Aiko, no one ever said that being in love was an entirely pleasant experience. You have such unrealistic expectations of yourself. It’s fine to not know how you feel. But it isn’t alright to hole yourself in your room and ignore your health.”

“Stop talking to me as if I am a child!” Aiko snapped at her with unexpected venom, before immediately feeling someone wrenching out her guts at Ruka’s hurt expression. “I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Ruka. I’m sorry Ruka, I’m sorry—“

“It’s okay Aiko,” Ruka said coming over to hug her. “I know you are tired, you are anxious, and you didn’t mean it.”

Aiko rested her head against her shoulder as she hugged back.

“ _No one travels, Along this way but I, This autumn evening._ ” Aiko murmured. Ruka pulled back and blinked and Aiko just pulled back before trying to smile. “Thank you, Ruka. I’ll get dressed. I’ll see you for lunch.”

Ruka, with a frown, drew away and left Aiko in her room alone.

* * *

“Lady Aiko?” A quiet voice and a powerful gaze made Aiko nearly jump, but she smoothed her nerves over with an annoyed look.

“Lord Seiryuu, I would expect a Dragon Warrior to know that sneaking up behind a lady is rude,” She said sharply as she turned. The elegant and graceful Lord Seiryuu nearly floated down the hall, he couldn’t have been much younger than she, but his face was as delicate and smooth as porcelain, and his golden eyes nearly glowed. Aiko felt herself prickle in spite of herself. Whether it was Lord Seiryuu, the rough and roguish Lord Ryokuryuu with sharp teeth and a devil-may-care grin, the seasoned and mature and broad Lord Hakuryuu, the saintly, young, and bright Lord Ouryuu, or their impossibly handsome master and King (her fiancé Aiko thought with butterflies), all of them were far too pretty. Aiko wondered if it had been in the job description for employment by the Gods.

What petty beings the Gods were, she thought as she resisted the urge to scoff. Lord Seiryuu bowed before her and looked up.

“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Lord Seiryuu stated. “If you are looking for King Hiryuu, he is within his quarters. I was heading there now with—Ouryuu!”

Suddenly a golden head popped from around the corner, Lord Ouryuu with his hands full of sticky buns and crumbs on his face gave a big smile as he walked down the hallway.

“The cook gave them to me!” Zeno chirped, “Oh Seiryuu, don’t be so uptight! Do you want one?”

“No I do not want any of the sticky buns you’ve had your hands all over,” Lord Seiryuu said haughtily.

“Seiryuu can be grumpy when he doesn’t eat enough,” Ouryuu explained to Aiko, and Aiko had to fight against the smile that was threatening to tug at her lips.

“I am not being grumpy! And stop eating so much, you are going end up fat,” Seiryuu nearly hissed, but Ouryuu didn’t seemed to be phased. 

“I’m still young, and besides, you’ve always got to enjoy the little things,” Ouryuu told before pointing at his foreheads, “if you stay so serious you’ll get wrinkles.”

At this point Lord Seiryuu was nearly hissing and Lord Ouryuu was laughing.

“I wasn’t particularly looking for King Hiryuu,” Aiko explained with a sigh as she directed their attention back to her. “However, one of you will do. Lord Ouryuu, Lord Seiryuu, are one of you not so busy?”

“Lord Ouryuu is never busy, I’m sure he would be happy to assist you in whatever you deem necessary,” Lord Seiryuu said with a huff, before bowing and excusing himself to attend to his duties. Aiko could see the shadow which fell over Lord Ouryuu’s face, the weight in his shoulders, but he turned and smiled.

“What is it that I may help you with, my lady?” Lord Ouryuu asked.

“You should be more steadfast,” Aiko told him as they began to walk. “I dislike men who can’t hold their nerve, Lord Ouryuu. They are useless, but you are at the age where boys are inclined to be hot-blooded. You have time to reform yourself to your natural state before the habit becomes ingrained.” 

“They have a point though, I cannot really do anything,” Lord Ouryuu said with a small laugh, and Aiko stopped suddenly and turned, facing the bewildered boy. 

“What an utterly ridiculous idea,” Aiko scoffed. “I will let you know something now. I despise stupid people, especially stupid people who are not aware of their own stupidity and ignorance. However, Lord Ouryuu, you are aware of what you lack. Because of the fact you lack you are stupid, but it is possible for you to become something other than stupid because you understand you have a problem. As soon as we realize our shortcomings and decide to change them, we can change, Lord Ouryuu. It is only when you are able to change that people will respect you. But do not expect pity when you do nothing to deserve it. You are doing nothing as you are, so do something.”

“Do something…?” Lord Ouryuu asked as Aiko began to walk and he walked beside her in step. “What should I do?”

“Anything. That’s the beauty of not being good at anything, isn’t it? Feel free to start anywhere,” Lady Aiko pointed out to him. “But like I’ve told you, I dislike stupid people, so I would prefer you relieve yourself of some of your stupidity while we are together.”

“Has our King relieved himself some of his stupidity?”

“I am afraid King Hiryuu has something neither of us have. He has pride. Thus he won’t ever be able to graduate from stupidity,” Aiko told with a roll of his eyes.

“And yet you are going to be married to him, despite disliking stupid people,” Zeno pointed out to her.

“Unfortunately my heart barely ever compliments my mind,” Aiko said with a huff, “it’s a character flaw of mine.”

“You’re funny, my lady,” Zeno said with a smile and a laugh. 

“Yes, I’m hilarious,” Aiko said dryly. “I won King Hiryuu over with my plain wit and pleasant and agreeable personality.”

“King Hiryuu likes people that challenge him,” Lord Ouryuu pointed out to her. “Besides, he finds something to like about everyone, even his worst enemies.”

“Because he is a fool,” Aiko told him with a sigh. “A fool with no sense of self-preservation.”

“How?” Lord Ouryuu asked her as they turned the corner.

“In theoretical, let’s suppose we were in a sword match,” Aiko explained as she continued to walk. “If you lose, you have to give over your castle. You are given the advantage because your sword is sharper. What do you do?”

“Well…”

“What would most people do?” Aiko clarified, taking note of how the boy shifted uncomfortably at the idea of killing.

“Most people would win the duel.”

“But what if you found out, if I lose I would be giving over my house and my family would be left homeless. If you lose, you just lose you castle. You have the resources for another one. Then what would you do?”

“I would probably intentionally lose.”

“Well, that’s wonderful. The other man keeps his house. But because you just lost, you lost your castle. Because you lost your castle, you lose your war,” Aiko said with a sigh. “That is why, you have to keep enemies your enemies. A king needs to first and foremost further his own needs. King Hiryuu needs to begin to think like a king, not a martyr.” 

“King Hiryuu is right to say you are very pessimistic,” Lord Ouryuu pointed out to her sadly.

“Perhaps so, but there is a reason why my house has flourished where others haven’t. My family is born with the trait of pessimism,” Aiko explained before suddenly she caught sight of the ladies-in-waiting she had been so vehemently avoiding. She looked away quickly, as if somehow not looking in the eye would reverse her coming

“Lady Aiko!” The Lady-in-Waiting called after her. “We called upon you this morning, we have new fabrics that were sent in for you and we would like you to choose some!”

“I already told you, I dislike the showy colors! I want to wait until the Taizo Clan’s weaver arrives here before I look at anything!” Aiko snapped at her.

“I had something to ask of Lord Taizo, from Hakuryuu!” Lord Ouryuu quickly intervened, causing the lady-in waiting to gape as Lord Ouryuu gave Aiko a knowing smile. “Forgive me for taking Lady Aiko.”

The lady-in-waiting spluttered before leaving down the hall with the others, letting Aiko lean against the wall and sigh.

“Is that what you were trying to avoid, Lady Aiko?” Lord Ouryuu said before she smiled weakly.

“Unfortunately,” Lady Aiko laughed.

Lord Ouryuu’s face smiled before suddenly it twisted in panic, and just as quickly a commotion came from down the hall. Aiko knew what had happened suddenly, after all she had heard of the Four Dragon Warrior’s ability to sense King Hiryuu, and immediately her mind went quiet of all troubles and all her attention was driven onto finding King Hiryuu.

“King Hiryuu!” Lord Ouryuu gasped as he suddenly began to run, and Aiko followed quickly at his heels.

King Hiryuu was outside the council room with Lord Seiryuu, gripping his shoulder as blood seeped into his robe. Inside, well what glimpse Aiko did catch from the scene that filled the air with the coppery stench, she could tell the bodies of the would-be assassins had been practically torn apart by Lord Hakuryuu and Lord Ryokuryuu who were currently barking orders to the guards.

“King Hiryuu, are you okay?” Lord Ouryuu gasped, his face pale as if he were the one who had been attacked.

“You were with Lady Aiko then? I’m relieved.” Hiryuu said, his face just as pale but he tried to smile.

“Out of the way,” Aiko snapped with force to the crowd which had begun to gather as she grabbed the sleeve of her dress with her teeth and ripped it. She settled beside King Hiryuu upon the floor, and gave him a pointed look. “Pull off that, I’m going to wrap it so you don’t bleed out before the doctor gets here.”

King Hiryuu blinked but pulled aside the robe, revealing his shoulder, and Aiko quickly bond the wound, trying to ignore the slick of his blood upon her fingertips. 

“You are mad at me,” King Hiryuu pointed out to her.

“I haven’t see you in two days, and when I do you are nearly killed. Do me a favor and just drop dead so I no longer have to bear the excitement,” Aiko told him flatly.

“My love, your words wound me.” King Hiryuu laughed sheepishly.

“Your use of dramatic irony is in bad taste, my king. Lord Ouryuu nearly fainted from his worry,” Aiko told him sharply. “My father?”

“It was a meeting with the generals. He wasn’t present.”

“Very well,” Aiko said, as she stood up, her hands still wetted with blood. “See to it that you are stitched up.”

“My lady—“ King Hiryuu began before the court doctor arrived and he was quickly whisked away.

By that point Aiko had already begun back down the hall, biting the inside of her lip.

* * *

The bottle of sake sloshed as Aiko continued to sit out in the hall facing the courtyard, resting her head against the railing. She had poured herself another generous glass and was half-way down on it, and was just beginning to feel the pleasant numbness in her face that she had been aiming for and her racing thoughts had slowed down considerable. It was nighttime, and the castle still buzzed with the undercurrent of activity of more guards and watches to up the protection of the king after the assassination attempt. How sickening, Aiko thought as she took another well-meaning sip.

“My lady?” King Hiryuu’s voice jolted her from her daze. She looked over the railing to see King Hiryuu without any guard detail, smiling up to her. Aiko scowled at him.

“Normally when a person is sitting alone at night with liquor it is a sign they wish to be left alone, my king,” Aiko told him boredly, trying to aide her newfound sobriety with more alcohol, feeling the pleasant burn run down her throat and settle in her belly.

“I though you didn’t drink,” King Hiryuu said as he hopped the railing, wincing only slightly as he pushed himself over.

“I don’t drink during the day,” Aiko corrected him, “I get drunk at night. There happens to be a big difference. Also what are you doing without any guards?”

“Guen knows I’m here, Abi is probably keeping watch,” Hiryuu waved off her concern, and Aiko scanned the grounds for the Seiryuu (not finding him but glaring in every direction so he got her point). “Is there any reason for it?”

“The court physician told me I am going through hysteria and need to be on bed rest for my headaches so I can better attend my duties as your fiancée,” Aiko scoffed. “I told him the reason for my headaches is lack of sleep, and I have been “in hysteria” since I was a child old enough to think. I just need to sleep and drinking will help that.”

“You did see blood, my lady. Did that not affect you?”

“My king, I am a woman. I see blood regularly,” Aiko reminded him curtly, and watched as his lips twisted to contain his laughter before he stood up and took the glass from her hands.

“Drinking like this isn’t healthy for you,” King Hiryuu soothed, before kissing her hands.

Aiko took this opportunity to half stumble forward, wrapping her arms around his middle and squeeze, making him release a surprised “oh!”. She pressed her cheek against his chest, trying to take in the fresh, clean scent of him.

“I’m so tired,” Aiko whispered in frustration.

King Hiryuu’s arms wrapped around her, pressing her firmly against him, and she couldn’t help but think how absolutely wonderful it was to be in his arms like that. Aiko wished she could sink there and stay there forever, sure that his warmth would forever ease her to sleep.

“Whatever I may do to help you, my lady, please ask of me,” King Hiryuu murmured, his voice hushed and sweet and lulling. The sound made Aiko feel more flushed, and she pulled away, need space to recover her wits. And she was more intoxicated then she had thought because as she moved she swayed backwards and Hiryuu caught her arm to steady her.

“Sorry’m sorry,” Aiko muttered, blinking hard as she regained her footing. “I think I need to lay down now.”

“Let me help you,” King Hiryuu offered, taking her arm as he helped her down the hall. Aiko tried to keep her eyes trained ahead, but could not help but wander back to him. To his jaw, the bright red locks of hair which were pulled up into a ponytail that settled over his shoulder and splashed color against the fair skin of his neck. Noticing her gaze he looked back at her and she shifted to look at the sky.

“What is it, my lady?” King Hiryuu asked.

“I wonder what posterity will think of us,” Aiko said idly.

“Posterity?”

“Surely your legend will live on, I wonder what form it will take.”

“Hopefully it is said that I was a good king,” Hiryuu said with a low, belly chuckle.

“And that is all?” Aiko said surprised before beginning to ramble. “If I were you, I would wish they said things like: Hiryuu was the strongest of all men. Hiryuu bedded a thousand women. Hiryuu was the picture of both fairness, justice, strength, and virility.”

“I’m not quite sure how I feel about those things,” Hiryuu laughed.

“I suppose in a thousand or two years, everything falls into obscurity.”

“Do you truly believe that nothing is eternal?”

“I do not see the eternal. I cannot understand the eternal. Therefore the eternal doesn’t exist. It’s all the same really,” Aiko told him as they made it to her room. “I have no concept of eternity or divinity or anything else like that so I just don’t bother believing in them. It’s as simple as that. I dislike thinking on things I don’t understand, it irritates me greatly.”

“I find you to be practical like that,” Hiryuu said so fondly and Aiko reached up to touch his cheek with the back of her hand, reveling in the feel of his smooth skin.

“I prefer things I can feel and hear and see. That is what is real to me. I know King Hiryuu. I know no God. So that is all that matters to me. I do not care if you were a god, or what kind of god you were, or where you came from, or why, or your divine nature. I know none of it. All I know is, I have no magical tie to you. I do not fear divine retribution, nor do I feel any reverence. I simply care for King Hiryuu, and the business everyone is making out of me marrying a God is tiresome and ridiculous and I won’t take any part in it,” Aiko told him before pulling back her hand. “You are a man, and your life is limited and flimsy at best. Take care of yourself and guard yourself as a man should, otherwise you will drive me and your warriors crazy with worry.” 

King Hiryuu’s eyes, a deep dark violet, flitted with the gold of hallway lanterns, at that moment were filling and spilling over with a soft and unbridled affection. He looked at her and she met his gaze, tipping up her head so he could bend down to kiss her. It was pleasant, she thought rather distantly, as Hiryuu’s warmth filled her up from her toes to the top of her head, his mouth absently pressing kisses to her own. It wasn’t overwhelming like the first time, she thought as his hands rested in her hips, and she reached to tangle her fingers in his hair like she had soft often wished too. It just felt so natural and good.

She was the one who pulled away, feeling breathless and far too warm. He still cradled her in his arms.

“My love—“ He began to say but she shushed him.

“When we are alone please call me Aiko,” Aiko corrected him. “Please don’t call me pet names. Pet names make feel like a child.”

“Aiko,” Hiryuu nearly purred and Aiko felt herself nearly explode with heat and push him away slightly.

“Never mind, please call me pet names,” Aiko quickly backtracked, her heart racing in her chest and feeling as if her cheeks were on fire.

“Why?” Hiryuu asked as he tipped his head to the side. “Your name is beautiful.”

“When you say my name like that it…it makes me uncomfortable,” Aiko said quickly, trying to steal herself but from the kiss her legs still felt weak.

“Perhaps it is like kissing, maybe you need to get used to me saying it,” Hiryuu offered innocently, tipping his head to the side like a puppy.

“Are you saying you want to kiss me again?” Aiko asked him, annoyed.

“Oh yes, very much so,” Hiryuu answered quickly, looking eager. “I always want to kiss you. Especially when you are angry at me. You are quite attractive when you are like that.”

Aiko squawked in embarrassment as she looked up meet his serene smile.

“You are also adorable when you are flustered,” Hiryuu responded as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. “It makes me want to tease you more.”

“Good night, King Hiryuu.” Aiko rolled her eyes at him, pushing away and Hiryuu let her leave his arms.

“Call me Hiryuu when we are alone,” He bid her and she glared at him and pushed him away from her door.

“ _Good night, Hiryuu!_ ”

“Sleep well, Aiko!” Hiryuu chirped before Aiko closed the door.

“How am I ever going to fall asleep now,” Aiko asked as she rested her forehead against the cool wood of the door, her heart pounding in her chest,“ you Idiot-King?!”

No one answered, but she wasn’t sure there was any answer to be found.


	6. The Reaping of Rewards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, alright! Chapter six of my Aiko/Hiryuu fic, Of Stupid Gods and Idiot Kings is here! The chapter after this will be the chapter of Hiryuu and Aiko’s wedding, but this chapter will be covering some other topics. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

King Hiryuu’s breath was stirring her skin as he bent down to gently kiss her jaw and neck. There was something so sweet, so light about the touch that it stirred her longing deeper. It kept them pressed flush against each other in the little corner that Aiko had caught him in after he had left a meeting. Her heart leaped into her throat at the sensation of a longer press in the divot between jaw and neck before once again he trailed down to the apex of her shoulders. Aiko had been determined to just steal a few moments, but she found herself losing her sense as his warmth and that of the evening sun sunk into her skin and his kisses grew more and more loving and longing.

“My king…” Aiko fumbled, her voice embarrassingly breathy and hitched as she shuddered, as he sucked only ever so slightly before releasing a sigh that cooled her very hot skin.

“Hiryuu,” King Hiryuu hummed pleasantly in response, kissing the very corner of her mouth, his hands resting at the small of her back pressing them ever closer with butterfly weight. “Please call me that instead.”

Aiko reached to touch his shoulders, to gently press and Hiryuu immediately released his arms and drew back a step. Aiko reached to rub her now wetted skin, thankfully there were no marks, however she couldn’t help but give him a pointed look.

“Your name is silly and grandiose,” Aiko said as she managed a scowl despite the circumstances. “Your parents surely gave you a more sensible name.”

“I have no parents, I was incarnated into this world as a man.” Hiryuu said as he blinked. At this Aiko couldn’t contain her scoff, and immediately Hiryuu’s eyes lit up and sparkled in their humor. “I am curious as to why you don’t believe me.”

“If that is the case you are the only man in the history of the world who was born as an adult. Why does it surprise you that I view it as incredible?”

“I suppose not, but if that is the case how do you believe I came to be?” Hiryuu asked as he tipped his head to the side in confusion.

“Forgive my crassness, but I assumed you were made through intercourse like everyone else,” Aiko told him bluntly. Hiryuu bit his lip, his cheeks turning red as he tried to contain his laughter before finally he broke and began laughing.

“My love, I suppose I cannot argue with you on the principle of the matter. However you view my name as silly, what of my warriors?”

“They use their names as their titles, it is different. I imagine they all have regular person names suiting them, I just do not care enough to learn them at this time. Though considering everything being as it is, I might wish too,” Aiko told Hiryuu before sighing. “But truly my king—“

“Hiryuu,” Hiryuu reminded her as he hugged her by her waist again.

“Hiryuu,” Aiko murmured against his shoulder.

“Yes, Aiko?” Hiryuu asked her.

“I…well…” Aiko said with a sigh, “I wish I could believe you.”

“It does not bother me. Your rational nature prevents it,” Hiryuu asked her and Aiko just shook her head and curled her hands in the back of his robes. “Aiko?”

“It is nothing, really and truly nothing,” Aiko told him as she continued to nestle into his arms. “I just…I’m just feeling cold is all.”

“Cold?” Hiryuu asked as he looked down at her, his eyes soft like violet petals. With her heart pounding in her ears she pressed up on the balls of her feet and kissed him, her hands trembling in his robes as she continued to kiss him. Hiryuu gave a gasp of surprise before nearly melting against her, humming in pleasure as his hands cupped her face, their lips pressed flush, their tongues meeting in soft caresses—

“My King?” Lord Hakuryuu’s voice called from down the hall. And Aiko yelped and jumped and—

“OW!” Hiryuu nearly gasped as he pulled away, covering his mouth from where she had bit him.

“I’m so sorry!” Aiko said in panic. “Oh damn it, I’m so sorry, oh Gods you are bleeding!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Hiryuu said with pinpricks of blood welling up, dotting his fingers before he pressed his hand once more to his face. “You were surprised, it’s fine!”

“My king?” Lord Hakuryuu said as he turned the corner before rushing forward with wide eyes. “My king you are injured! Do you need to go to the court physician—”

“It’s only a scratch!” Hiryuu interrupted him quickly, before Lord Hakuryuu looked between them, both flushed and ruffled. Lord Hakuryuu cleared his throat, obviously embarrassed.

“Well, I came to fetch you for dinner,” Lord Hakuryuu said as he looked between them. “But if you were otherwise occupied then I’m sure dinner could be sent to you later…”

Aiko felt her face burst with heat, in return causing Lord Hakuryuu to blush. King Hiryuu just smiled brightly, despite his own flush.

“Have you eaten dinner yet, my lady?” King Hiryuu asked her sweetly. “Perhaps you would like to join us.” 

“I…I haven’t,” Aiko said, despite the fact that she was sure that she could muster hunger after being caught in such a position. “But I am not feeling well, I’m going to retire for the night. Good night Lord Hakuryuu, good night my king!”

“Good night, my lady,” King Hiryuu called after her as Aiko quickly bowed her head before walking quickly down the hall.

Her heart was pounding long after she had reached her room.

* * *

Aiko had been sitting in her usual spot, after having attended her duties for preparation of the wedding. She had been enjoying her calm and uninterrupted time, reading from a new book of poetry that Hiryuu had given to her from a collection she had received as a gift upon their engagement announcement, however Aiko found that quiet time unfortunately short lived as she noticed the movement and presence coming towards her and looked up.

Lady Mun-Hee was as beautiful as Aiko remembered her to be. Her eyes were a coveted color, the green of tender spring leaf that sparkled with interest upon all who she turned attention too equally. Her skin nearly glowed fair and flushed in turn, her mouth full as blooming flower petals, her nose small and matching her dainty chin. Her hair a few shades lighter then Aiko’s was always pulled up in the most recent of styles and pinned with elaborate pins that matched her rich dress. She floated gracefully as she walked, a telltale sign of her great breeding and humor.

In regards to the many facets of commonly accepted standards of womanhood, Aiko knew herself to be rather sorely lacking. Aiko could under certain situations put on her best face and manner, dress well, do her hair, and go through the motions well enough. However when confronted with the ideal Aiko felt herself sorely lacking, for though Aiko could go through the motions, there was truly a difference between going through the motions and the real thing, and Aiko knew of her faults. After all, Aiko could scarcely say she was considered a great beauty, nor that her personality lent to her being well received, but she viewed it as society’s problem that her own traits weren’t well valued ones. But it also wasn’t as if Aiko, despite everything, did not feel a shred of respect for woman for whom it all came easily even if she viewed them as mindless drabble. But it was only a shred, the rest was rather well contained contempt. 

So it was out of that reserved respect that Aiko said nothing to begin with as Lady Mun-Hee sat across from Aiko as a lady-in-waiting served Aiko her tea and she enjoyed her book.

“Good afternoon, Lady Aiko,” Lady Mun-Hee greeted, and Aiko flitted her gaze up to see her. Lady Mun-Hee was someone who had always danced on the peripheral of her vision, keeping in with the crowds of well-dressed and painted ladies who usually avoided Aiko like the plague itself. Lady Mun-Hee’s father was one of Aiko’s father’s associates, a well-established and wealthy lord of the coast. Other than that, Aiko wasn’t ever sure she had spoken three words to the other woman besides the general greetings she usually gave.

“Good afternoon, Lady Mun-Hee,” Aiko answered curtly, returning her gaze to her book, her eyes skimming the pages and she drank the draught of words and poems that she oh so loved, hoping that her obvious disinterest in human contact would allow the lady to catch the hint Aiko wanted her to leave. However, Lady Mun-Hee got no such hint and called over Aiko’s lady-in-waiting.

“If you would be so kind as to bring some snacks?” Lady Mun-Hee asked, and the lady-in-waiting bowed before walking off to complete the assigned task. “I would like to speak with you, Lady Aiko.”

“Obviously. I had already deduced such a thing,” Aiko said, closing her book and placing it on the table before meeting her gaze. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be coming within a few arm lengths of me.”

Lady Mun-Hee’s cheeks filled with heat, while Aiko picked up her tea and began to sip from it. How utterly dull. Just when she had become fully absorbed in her book she had to deal with such tiring things. What a day this had turned out to be she was ready to retire to her room, Aiko thought idly.

“I should like to speak to you about King Hiryuu,” Lady Mun-Hee said and Aiko resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“Any business you have with King Hiryuu can be taken up with him directly,” Aiko told her with a scoff. “Do you take me for a knave?”

“Not with King Hiryuu, about King Hiryuu,” Lady Mun-Hee clarified.

“Ah, even better. Consider me even more disinterested in speaking with you than I was before,” Aiko told her. “My affairs with King Hiryuu are none of your business.”

“Then let me be even clearer, I am not here to discuss your affair, but rather my affairs. I am in love with King Hiryuu,” Lady Mun-Hee declared as if that was something to be proud about. 

“That is quite wonderful and pleasant, however I really do not care about how you feel about King Hiryuu,” Aiko told her just as bluntly. “Now, do you have a point you wish to make to me, or are you just here to make a fool of yourself? Either way I would wish for you to get on with it so I may retire to my room.”

“You are engaged to King Hiryuu, I just thought that I would be respectful considering that you will be his first wife, I thought I should let you know of my intentions,” Lady Mun-Hee said with an indignant huff.

“Ah, so you are aiming to become King Hiryuu’s second wife?” Aiko asked her before chuckling. “Very well then, how utterly quaint of you. I find it very precious that you would aim so high, I’m sure that with a bat of your eyelashes and some prayers your lovely little dream will come true. I shall be cheering for you then in this adorable ambition of yours.”

“You do not take me seriously,” Lady Mun-Hee said, her fair cheeks nearly glowing red.

“I take you just as seriously as I take most people, which I suppose means yes I do not take you seriously at all,” Aiko told her before folding her hands on the table. “Though I do not doubt your desire to become Hiryuu’s second wife, I’m sure that’s very genuine. But let me tell you something equally genuine that I feel from the bottom of my heart. If you truly are in love with King Hiryuu then please do continue on with your plans to woo him. I am not heartless, who am I to deny someone the right to fall in love and try to make their love a reality? However, if you are not in love with King Hiryuu, and wish to get married to him in order to be his wife and to reap those awards, then I will tell you immediately that I will deal with you in a manner that will make you wish you had never been born. I will watch your every move, and the exact moment you slip up I will have you taken care of, do you understand me? I will not have my King manipulated by a greedy bitch in heat who believes she can do anything because her parents have stuffed her fat with mooncakes and compliments that do not suit her base nature and she can spread her legs and look pretty while doing it. After all, my king is a loving, gentle, wonderful man. Do you believe that he deserves to be cheated in such a way? Of course not, after all as you are so in love with him surely you agree. My warnings I’m sure do not apply and you can go ahead with your courtship of my fiancé without worry or delay.”

At this point Lady Mun-Hee’s face was the color of spoiled milk, and Aiko just continued to sip at her tea.

“It’s true what they say. You are a demon!” Lady Mun-Hee hissed at her.

“Feel free to call me your goddess,” Aiko told her with a sweet smile.

Lady Mun-Hee obviously totally overwhelmed and somewhat terrified took her leave at that moment, running down the hall surely to meet the others in her posse who would comfort her by reminding her own terrible and awful Lady Aiko was. Aiko just took up her book once more, thanking the confused lady-in-waiting as she returned with a beautiful array of sweets. Aiko ate one as she continued to read before the presence of someone leaning of the railing led her to look up. Lord Ryokuryuu was resting there rather slovenly, having watched Lady Mun-Hee go with a look of amusement.

Lord Ryokuryuu whistled in appreciation before saying,

“I’ve been on the battlefield plenty of times, but I doubt I’ve ever seen something so brutal, little Queen.”

“I am not yet anyone’s Queen I would prefer you not to call me that,” Aiko informed him as she placed down her book. Lord Ryokuryuu hopped the railing with ease and took what had previously been Lady Mun-Hee’s place opposite of her, snapping up some of the candies before smiling with sharp teeth.

“But was that really wise you think? I mean, I don’t know anything about politics, I leave that to people like Seiryuu who gives a shit, but I can’t imagine that was handled well.”

“Would you like for someone like her to end up married to Hiryuu?” Aiko asked him flatly. “Besides my reputation is already what it is, and I doubt she will tell anything about what I said. It would ruin her chances if she is planning on trying to court King Hiryuu to tell of this so early on and reveal her own intentions. Her mistake was not understanding politics well enough. Politics are a well-choreographed dance, one has to know the steps. It’s her fault for underestimating me and trying to declare her declarations so prematurely.”

“A strategist just like your father then, little Queen,” Lord Ryokuryuu said as he took out his flask. “Though I have to warn you, next time you wish to warm yourself within our king’s arms, might I suggest not doing so in the hallway? It was entertaining seeing you two though, for a minute I thought that dunce King of ours was trying to eat your face. But it might not be good politics.”

“Insolent man!” Aiko gasped as her face flooded with heat and she slammed her hands on the table.

“You are actually pretty bold, little Queen!” Lord Ryokuryuu called before immediately hopping out as Aiko attempted to throw her book at him. Lord Ryokuryuu laughed as Aiko awkwardly jumped over the railing to chase him to the tree where he was currently sitting in, drinking merrily from his flask.

“Come down here and let me show you how bold I can be!” Aiko shouted at him.

“Don’t worry, little Queen, I don’t think us dragons would ever approve of any other wives, not when you are so entertaining!” Lord Ryokuryuu told her with a devilishly sharp smile.

“I told you do not call me that!”

* * *

The night was cool as she rested against her window, taking in the moonlight. It was late, the witching hour was upon the world as the deepest and darkest night soothed others into sleep. Aiko was used to being awake at such odd hours, after all, sleep rarely came for her when she wanted it to. And so with her candle lit and letting the breeze gently brush against her cheek, she rested there, her mouth curved down, her eyes shut firmly despite her lack of tiredness.

“Aiko?” A voice startled her and made her jerk up. Hiryuu stood there, his smile nearly reflecting the moonbeams and dazzling her.

“King—Hiryuu,” Aiko said as she clutched over her heart. “You scared me.”

“Forgive me, I saw you there and was surprised,” Hiryuu said honestly. “What are you doing up so late.”

“I could not sleep,” Aiko admitted as she tried to summon something akin to a pleasant expression but found she fell short, “I am normally up at this hour anyways. What of you?”

“I also could not sleep,” Hiryuu said before his eyes softened. “May I come up to see you?”

Aiko nodded and watched as he ducked around. She straightened out her nightwear and put on her slippers as she heard a knock at her door. Aiko let Hiryuu in, despite knowing she should not, and was immediately enveloped in his warm arms.

“Hiryuu?” Aiko asked in confusion.

“You looked troubled,” Hiryuu told her, and she felt his hand gently stroking her hair.

“Troubled?” Aiko asked, feeling the ghost of panic tugging at her stomach. Had Lady Mun-Hee actually said anything about their confrontation?

“Your frown was particularly heavy,” Hiryuu murmured in response. “What is it that was bothering you?”

He could see right through her, Aiko thought in a panic. Why? Why could he see through her so easily? But…somehow it was also a relief.

“Today someone called me a demon,” Aiko admitted.

“Who?” Hiryuu demanded pulling away slightly. Aiko felt a shiver run down her spine at the righteous anger there, and couldn’t help but smile truthfully this time with much more ease.

“Do not get worked up you idiot-King, I am afraid I mostly deserved it. Let me just say I had some pointed words for a certain individual,” Aiko told Hiryuu whose jaw still clenched with anger. “It wasn’t the insult that offended me, it was the fact I view the person who said it as being mostly correct that was making me think so deeply.”

“You are no demon,” Hiryuu said firmly, his eyes still nearly glowing by the candlelight.

“I am afraid I am willing to be a demon for those who I love, but that only makes me unfortunately human,” Aiko returned before stepping out of his arms. “Forgive me, Hiryuu. You must be tired.”

“But you will not go to bed?”

“I am normally not able to sleep well,” Aiko told him with a shrug.

“Then let me stay with you until you do,” Hiryuu said innocently and Aiko felt her face twitch.

“My king…you might not wish to make such scandalous propositions,” Aiko said before crossing her arms over her chest. “I am not sleeping with you until our wedding night.”

“I’m sorry, did I just say something wrong?” Hiryuu asked worriedly. “I just wanted to stay with you perhaps that would help you fall asleep. The others always say my presence is calming.”

“Your magical dragon warriors!” Aiko reminded him with force. “I doubt your presence would be relaxing to me at all!”

“I make you nervous then?” Hiryuu asked worriedly. “Forgive me, I do not mean to—“

“—Not bad nervous!” Aiko huffed before saying sure that at that moment she was obviously embarrassed. “Not bad nervous, but….asking to stay the night with someone is…well it’s inappropriate…and suggestive and more than anything I would be unable to sleep. Our…our wedding is getting so close after all.”

“Are you worried about our wedding?” Hiryuu asked her gently, wrapping his arms around her again.

“Of course I am.”

“I am not,” Hiryuu said and he rocked her in his arms ever so gently. “It is because I love you, and I am going to be happy to spend the rest of every day with you and every night.”

“You are greedy, do you know that?” Aiko told him and he chuckled.

“I am, very much so. I want to be able to make you the happiest that I can as well as the whole rest of the world.”

“You aim too high, my king.”

“I believe that is what you like about me,” Hiryuu said as he pulled back.

“Perhaps,” Aiko said with a smile.

“Good night, Aiko.”

“Good night,” Aiko told him, feeling him kiss her forehead before leaving her.

Aiko fell back into her bed, and closed her eyes.


	7. Traditions and Relations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, the long awaited wedding/wedding night chapter of the Hiryuu/Aiko fic. Unfortunately if you are looking for a really hot and sexy lemon sequence you are reading the wrong fanfiction my friend. The first section is the wedding section, and the second section is the wedding night containing sexual content (though not super duper explicit), so just in case someone isn’t interested or likes sex scenes, the fic can certainly be read without the second part.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

“My lady, you look as if you will pass out,” Lord Seiryuu observed as her ladies-in-waiting continued to help her into her wedding hanbok.

She had fought tooth and nail over her wedding attire. The royal tailor had wished to put her in an outfit of all red but Aiko had refused. She may have been marrying the Crimson Dragon King himself but red did not flatter her. And so finally they had come to a forcible agreement. Instead of the ridiculous red hanbok the tailor had tried to put her in, she had asked the tailor to craft her something more modest. Her jeogori jacket with long sleeves was a pale white, while the trim of the collar and her cuffs were both patterned with red flowers, and the string which held her jeogori close was pure crimson red. The sash across her waist, was gold and it held up her chima skirts, one layer of golden, the second a white patterned with red dragons and flowers. It was truly a beautiful gown, and she should feel beautiful and ready, but at that moment all thoughts were hazed by panic.

Her ladies-in-waiting had just hung her blue and green and gold tassels and her red pouch, as well as twisting her hair up with an elaborate hair pin of flowers and a dragon and wrapping her sleeves in a long white cloth patterned with dragons, when finally Lord Seiryuu approached her more cautiously and came to her side. He was also dressed in his finest robes, his sky blue hair tied back in a much more ornate bun, and he shooed out the ladies-in-waiting just for a moment.

“I’m fine, I just dislike all of this attention,” Aiko told him.

“Really? By the way you usually carry yourself I would think the opposite.”

“Is that you being sarcastic with me, Lord Seiryuu?”

“My lady, take whatever I say however you will, it does not concern me,” Lord Seiryuu softly scoffed, before pulling out a flask and offering it to her. “Drink, steady yourself a bit.”

“You’ve obviously handled this before,” Aiko said weakly as she took a swig, letting the sake burn down her throat and make her crinkle her nose.

“I’ve dealt with this sort of situation plenty of times before,” Lord Seiryuu said nonchalantly. “Just remember why you are getting yourself into this and take deep breaths.”

“Right, you are right,” Aiko sighed heavily.

“The fan dancing had already been under way and soon our king will give your father his traditional gift. Now it is time for you to appear. I will have your ladies ready for you, and I’m sure you remember how the rest of it goes,” Lord Seiryuu said and Aiko nodded before trying to smile.

“Thank you Lord Seiryuu,” Aiko said and he just gave a gentle scoff.

“Think nothing of it,” Lord Seiryuu said before disappearing as quickly as morning fog, down the hallway surely to continue to observe and help with the wedding.

After a few moments, swallowing the air and trying to sooth the knot in her own belly, she called her ladies-in-waiting back in. Aiko looked to her companions who all smiled encouragingly as Aiko lifted her arms to mostly cover her face as she began her walk to her own ceremony.

For a moment the sun stunned her however she continued her walk down the stairs as the crowd mostly became quiet. Her family was standing in the front row, having received their traditional gifts. King Hiryuu stood by the wedding table, his Four Dragons standing behind him as he looked to her. He was truly divine, Aiko thought unwillingly. With his wild red curls unfurling in the wind, pale skin nearly radiant in the midmorning sun, his golden and red robes catching the light, the crown resting upon his head looking so natural to him as if it was an extension of his self. He smiled at her, and she believed for a moment her heart had stopped and was utterly thankful for custom shielding her face or else she was certain Hiryuu would see he crimson blush.

Their hands were both washed before they were allowed to walk before the table. To the surprise of everyone but Aiko, Hiryuu prostrated himself as a groom before her as all of his dragons bowed, and she kneeled down and bowed her head just as deeply (though more woodenly then graceful, as Hiryuu’s actions had taken her completely off guard).

“Today we come together, to bless this marriage in the holy rites and to bind man and woman together as one in the eyes of the heavens,” The priest said as he raised the gourd of sake up to the sky before placing it back down upon the table.

The priest filled a larger cup, before both Hiryuu and Aiko approached the table. Hiryuu first bowed again to Aiko, his eyes never leaving hers as he filled his cup with the dipper, before offering it to her. Aiko took the dipper from his fingers (feeling herself tremble as she did so, his touch rushing over her skin alive and warm) and filled her own cup. Together they bowed once more raising their cups, and then drank together.

And like that, Aiko took her place by King Hiryuu’s side and bowed before the sea of nobles who bowed after them before breaking out into cheers,

“Long live King Hiryuu! Long live Queen Aiko!”

“Congratulations, my Queen,” King Hiryuu said with a smile and a twinkle of mischief in his deep violet gaze. Aiko just sighed and rolled her eyes at him.

“I’ve always been a queen, it is just that now the title is official.”

Aiko heard the rumbling laughter of the Four Dragons and Hiryuu and had to hide her own smile.

* * *

Aiko had been bathed in perfumed soaps and dried in warm and powdered towels before dressed in a much simpler white hanbok and sent to King Hiryuu’s chambers. Knowing it would take Hiryuu some time to get there, Aiko immediately set to work with the most important thing she could think of at the time which was opening the first bottle of sake she could find and beginning to pour herself a generous glassful.

“Now get yourself together, Aiko,” Aiko chastised herself on her second sip. But she just couldn’t think about it. Every time she did, her thoughts wandered to Hiryuu’s bare chest shimmering with sweat in the courtyard and her stomach flipped uncomfortably at the thought of that being in close proximity to her and her mind stopped working all together. Feeling as if she couldn’t sit any longer, Aiko stood up and began to pace.

It wasn’t as if she was innocent. To be honest she had never been naïve and she had always had an interest in medical literature and with some novels little was left to the imagination. And that was besides her relationship with Hiryuu, where they had kissed and perhaps both of their hands had wandered a bit more then was appropriate. But being with Hiryuu in bed? Naked? Her cheeks flushed at the very thought of the idea of nakedness, both hers and his. Hiryuu’s naked body pressed against hers? The thought made her want to drive her head against the wall with all of her strength. It was just so embarrassing!

Aiko sat back down on the bed with a huff, grabbing the nearest pillow in order to hug it desperately. He would be gentle and loving, Aiko thought, but perhaps that was the bad thing. Aiko could hardly deal with his whispers of love which sent shivers down her spine and made her forget everything. Aiko was sure this evening would be a whole lot of that and the idea made her scowl because it was just so intimate, and Aiko did not do intimate. Aiko disliked intimate with every fiber of her being because of how it made her feel so little. She liked keeping everything at a manageable distance, and she was sure that when naked in bed with Hiryuu nothing would be manageable and there sure wouldn’t be a lot of distance.

She sat there, taking sips of sake until the door opened to reveal Hiryuu in much more simple and comfortable robes. He smiled brightly at her as he walked across the grand space. To her surprise he immediately reached out to hug her, making her squawk as they fell backwards—or rather sideways into the bed.

“Hiryuu!” Aiko yelped as Hiryuu just smiled blissfully.

“I missed seeing you,” Hiryuu said, clearly delighted. “The past few days were so hectic, and then I realized that I would be able to see you and we can spend whole nights together without you having to worry! Being married is a wonderful thing!”

“You could have seen me anyways,” Aiko argued but Hiryuu just pulled her into his arms, nestling them close together, and she was sure he could hear her frantic heartbeat through her ribs.

“Perhaps, but you were so anxious about the wedding, and I wanted you to rest,” Hiryuu told her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, gazing into her eyes with eyes the soft petal of violets. “And now we are married, I can’t stop thinking about it! I am your husband and you are my wife! I know you think me silly and sentimental, but truly you were so beautiful Aiko. And I’m sure my brothers in heaven approved, they sent us a sun shower as a gift!”

“Sun showers are hardly a practical gift if they were a gift,” Aiko said choosing to ignore his compliments. “And I’m sure Lady Mun-Hee would like to take it up with your brothers in heaven.”

“I did ask her father to forgive me, she was a bit of a mess after she slipped in that puddle.” 

“You should have just left that up to divine providence,” Aiko said before grabbing his nose and giving it a squeeze. Hiryuu just smiled before laughing and nuzzling against her pressing a kiss to her neck right where he knew her to be weak. She sighed against him, trying to calm her raging thoughts by focusing on his warm and gentle touch. His lips brushing against her neck, his body resting against hers, his hand lightly trailing from her hip down her leg in soft strokes. He would be gentle, Aiko tried to sooth herself, he would be sweet. But then a particularly adamant press of his lips against her neck made her stiffen and Hiryuu immediately pull away.

“Aiko?” Hiryuu asked tipping his head to the side. “Is something the matter?”

“I…I should get prepared…” Aiko said, sitting up in order to begin fumbling with her robes.

“Prepared?” Hiryuu asked his voice taking on an edge of concern as she almost finished undoing her tie. Suddenly his hands touched hers, and in return to her surprise look he shook her head. “Please don’t be distressed. If you don’t wish for something, please, speak to me. You have never kept your opinions from me ever.”

“I…forgive me,” Aiko said quietly before giving a heavy sigh and sitting back on the bed. “I find myself being sickeningly nervous and it is annoying me. Well everything annoys me to a certain extent, but I am annoying me most of all. I would just rather everything be done quickly so I don’t have to think about it anymore, and if I embarrass myself I can attempt to recover before sunrise.”

“My love, has anyone ever told you that you are quite a pessimist?”

“Yes, you, all the time.”

“I am quiet nervous as well,” Hiryuu admitted to her freely. “I’ve been thinking about this, seeing as I have no experience with bodily relations such as these, and I cannot help but think I will be slightly disappointing.”

“And you say I’m the pessimist,” Aiko scoffed.

“Well I’ve heard that men are generally bad the first few times,” Hiryuu chuckled. “I did not wish to discomfort you. So I figured that if we just do what feels good then things should work out just fine, if you are up to that. If not we can just rest.”

“I…I want that,” Aiko admitted, finding herself unable to look Hiryuu in the eye as she blushed. “I…I want to be with you. I just find that…well…I’m worried that perhaps I won’t be…I won’t be a good lover.”

“You are the only one I want,” Hiryuu told her, cupping her face. “Please remember I have eyes for no one but you.”

“That might be half the problem,” Aiko murmured as he kissed her forehead, and then reached to grab her hand and press it over his heart. She felt it there thrumming quickly against her fingertips, its quick beat causing Aiko to look up. “You…”

“We are the same, my love,” Hiryuu told her brightly as his free hand reached to touch her neck. “And I love you.”

“Don’t say it like that,” Aiko whispered as she tipped her head up to meet his lips in a kiss, their lips pressing together with more and more urgency, her mouth opening to allow Hiryuu to meet her tongue with his. Aiko’s hands which previously curled in his robe moved to tug open the sash to reveal the chest she had burned into her memory.

Oh gods, she thought as her face burst into heat, unable to keep herself from touching the sculpted plane of his stomach and chest. He was so undeniably handsome—

She suddenly blinked, realizing something she hadn’t noticed that time she had spied on him before. The more she looked, the more apparent it became, especially with the sight of a scar on his arm as she thumbed it.

“What is it?”

“You don’t have any marks, well, any that are older than a few years,” Aiko thought with her brows furrowed. 

“Ah yes, that one,” Hiryuu said as Aiko continued to trace the jagged line. “An enemy archer had hid among the cliffs, it just grazed me. Abi killed the archer, and Shuten had to stich me up on the spot.”

“And here?” Aiko asked, tracing the much more elegant cut from his collar bone, brushing his navel which sent a shiver through him.

“Assassin amongst the ranks of my soldiers, I managed to kill him but not before I got that,” Hiryuu said, before sighing as she leaned in to kiss the mark. She let Hiryuu pull at the clasp in her dress, loosening it and gently pulling off the layers of her skirt to reveal her legs. For a moment Hiryuu went still and his eyes wide, before an awed smile graced his lips. “Aiko you are so beautiful.”

“And you are a fool,” Aiko said as she turned away and tried to make undressing herself be more neat and quick. She had just wrangled herself out of her shirt when she felt Hiryuu pressed to her back helping her pull off her blouse and leaving her bare, with her back still to him.

“May I touch you?” He asked curiously and she found herself shivering as his fingers trailed her spine and his mouth kissed the very back of her neck, so gently pulling out the pins in her hair. He combed through it slowly, the sensation of him running through her hair with his fingers more lovely then she ever would have thought as he lay it over her shoulder.

“If you don’t I’d feel awkward considering I just undressed for you,” Aiko admitted with a huff. Aiko kept her legs pressed together as she basically kneeled on the bed, however at this point she figured Hiryuu had already touched her chest one or twice so surely that wasn’t too embarrassing (tried to convince herself more like it, she thought as she gazed off to the side and was sure her flushed skin gave her away). However just sitting there as Hiryuu’s awed gaze made her skin prickle Aiko finally could not stand it and finally snapped at him, “Well don’t just sit there, do something!”

Hiryuu to her surprise moved forward as jarred by her voice, kissing her for a moment before reaching to gently reach to palm her breast. At this point her face was on fire as his warm hand palmed her, bending forward to lavish her with his mouth.

Aiko lay herself down, feeling Hiryuu settle between her legs a he continued to kiss her breasts, her belly, and her neck. Her legs squeeze together as an ache and wetness settled between her thigh. Tracing her collarbones, with his lips, skimming her skin with his trembling finger tips as he traced her most private part and made her gasp.

“Hiryuu!” She gasped, digging her fingers into his back as his fingers moved inside of her, rubbing deep inside of her in maddening pumps which made her whimper, his mouth still suckling at her breast—

Aiko shifted her leg, brushing against something that she knew instinctually and she felt him twitch. Hiryuu’s face flushed, as he paused his movements and Aiko bit her lips to keep from bucking her hips against them.

“Forgive me,” Hiryuu said with a sheepish smile, “the sounds that you were making have…effected me.”

“Please I…I think I would be okay now,” Aiko gasped, as she almost begged. “Please?”

“What if it hurts?” Hiryuu asked, sounding terrified.

“I’ll be fine,” Aiko said as she touched his arm.

“Please let me know if I hurt you,” Hiryuu told her.

It was odd, Aiko thought, as she felt him enter her. She winced, though there was much less pain then she would have expected. She felt full and stretched, but it didn’t feel too bad. But Hiryuu groaned above her, his body shuddering, and his eyes hazy with pleasure.

“It feels so good,” Hiryuu groaned, and Aiko felt herself shiver because she was the one bringing him such pleasure, even if the pleasure did not affect her. “Does it…does it hurt for you?”

“It’s not so bad,” Aiko said, wrapping her arms around him. “You can move.”

“Are you sure?” He asked, his chest heaving in strain.

“Please,” Aiko said, before suddenly being jerked too hard. Aiko held her tongue for a few thrusts, hoping that it would get better before finally a rough thrust came, causing her to yelp and grab Hiryuu’s hair to yank back his head. “A bit more gentle!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Hiryuu said, somewhat in panic.

“Please use your head a bit,” Aiko said flatly, trying to shift her hips to get into a less awkward position. 

“I’m afraid I don’t have much blood in my head right now,” Hiryuu pointed out, causing Aiko to bite down on her lip hard in order to resist her laughter. Hiryuu tried again to move, but immediately taking note of her twinge, Hiryuu to her surprise suddenly scooped both of them up into a sitting position. “Better?”

Aiko managed a nod, it was a bit more comfortable, not being squished beneath Hiryuu, and this way she could more focus on the movement of their hips rather than feeling herself being rutted against the bed. His thrusts were much more gentle, thankfully not being driven down any longer even left Aiko feeling much less painful and far more pleasant then she would have expected. Their mouths met with more urgency, but deeper and loving touch. Aiko curled her hands in his hair like she had always wished to, hearing Hiryuu gasp desperately against her neck, and hold her close as he shuddered and completed.

Hiryuu lay her back down before nearly collapsing beside her. Both of them were slick with sweat, breathing harshly, but Hiryuu’s skin nearly glowed with bliss. He looked at her with both hesitation and a deep affection in his eyes.

“Forgive me,” Hiryuu said as he caught his breath. “I was terrible.”

“You were far from terrible,” Aiko said as she rolled her eyes and skootched over, retrieving one of her pins and redoing her hair to keep it from sticking to her skin. “It didn’t hurt as bad as I would have thought it would.”

“So essentially you were expecting me to do much worse and you are pleasantly surprised?”

“Having your expectations raised is always better then lowered,” Aiko pointed out as she shivered as the sweat cooled against her skin. Hiryuu moved quickly to grasp his robe which lay discarded on the bed, wrapping it around her shoulders, kissing her neck and wrapping his arms around her waist. Hiryuu hummed against her, warm and blissful and content, and Aiko leaned against him, touching his hands with her own. “Well, it is true that men hardly think with their heads, I just finished insulting you.”

“If my ego could be bruised so easily, I doubt I would have married you,” Hiryuu said, lowering her down to kiss her again.

“Perhaps that was your mistake,” Aiko said between kisses.

“Never, I may do plenty of things I shall regret, but marrying you will not be one of them,” Hiryuu said as he lay beside her, his arm wrapping around her waist, his body pressed against hers. 

“Don’t raise your expectations too high,” Aiko said as she kissed his hand, “I haven’t even been Queen one day yet.”

“My love, you were born a Queen, now the title’s just official,” Hiryuu said with a chuckle in her ear. 

After sharing a few laughs, Aiko couldn’t disagree.


	8. Intervention and Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The eight chapter of Of Stupid Gods and Idiot-Kings is finally here, and shit hits the fan for real. I really hope people enjoy this interpretation of very certain and important canonical events. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

“Math is beautiful,” Aiko explained to Zeno and Hiryuu. “You see, with math there is always an answer. The answer can be zero, but even when it’s nothing, nothing has meaning. Math can give meaning to nothing, math can make nothing exist! Isn’t that magnificent?”

“My Queen?” Zeno said awkwardly.

“Isn’t it lovely?” Aiko asked excitedly as she tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “It’s the greatest puzzle.”

“My Queen…forgive me but I can’t really find budgets that fun,” Zeno chuckled awkwardly in the face of Aiko’s glowing enthusiasm. “How do you do it all so quickly in your head?”

“Well you see, we have 36 camps and we went to share five barrels of grain for each, that’s difficult right?” Aiko asked Zeno, after she sat down beside him. “So instead I think, two sets of five is ten, and ten is an easier number to work with. So I multiply thirty-six by ten and get three hundred and sixty and half that. So that means we’ll need one hundred and eighty barrels.”

“I couldn’t ever figure that out,” Zeno said but Aiko sighed.

“It’s all about seeing the patterns and making it easier for yourself—” Aiko explained before breaking off with a sound of annoyance, “Hiryuu, would you please stop giving me that look?”

Hiryuu couldn’t help but blink, tipping his head to the side.

“Look?” He asked, confused before yelping as Aiko reached across the table to squeeze his nose.

“That dumb look you have on your face, please take this opportunity to wipe it off,” Aiko sighed as she released him and Hiryuu smiled at her as he circled around the table to wrap his arms around her.

“But you are so beautiful when you are happy,” Hiryuu hummed as he gave her waist a squeeze and kissed her ear and cheek. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help but admire you.”

“You giant sap,” Aiko snapped without any trace of rage, her ears heating up. “What is it that you want?”

“Oi, my king, save romancing the little Queen for the bedroom,” Shuten called as he ducked in, before yelping as Guen gave him a good natured thump on the head.

“Ryokuryuu, mind your manners,” Abi said haughtily. 

“Says you,” Shuten fired right back.

“Now, now boys. Forgive me for monopolizing the attention of your darling,” Aiko huffed, nearly dancing out of Hiryuu’s grasp, leaving his arms feeling rather empty. “Please, feel free to argue over him as soon as I make myself scarce.”

“What is it that you are insinuating?” Guen half choked.

“Lord Ouryuu, if you have any more concerns over the budgets, please let me know,” Aiko said and Zeno bowed his head before Aiko left with a swish of her skirts and sway of her hips.

“Feel free take your jaw off the floor,” Abi scoffed to Hiryuu as soon as Aiko was out of earshot.

“I feel as if I am in for something somewhat unpleasant,” Hiryuu couldn’t help but laugh as he stood up. “Alright my dear friends, it is time to attend our war councils.”

“Do not forget that Lord Yin is coming to the castle as well,” Guen reminded Hiryuu as they all began to walk towards the center hall. “I hope this doesn’t spell trouble for the west.”

“We already quelled the rebellion there two years ago,” Shuten scoffed, “do you think they would want to try it again? Especially after we deposed of Lord San-Ki.”

“We had no choice of that,” Hiryuu said tightly, feeling the weight of his sword in his hands, the sensation of cleaving through flesh that always made him twinge in disgust no matter how often he did so. “Sometimes, one cannot stop the loss of life in war. I would like to avoid war again if we can.”

“Lord San-Ki was one of the Lords who betrayed you, feel no sympathy for him,” Abi nearly scoffed. “And if the west wishes to entertain rebellious thoughts yet again then they are stupid. Do they not see how prosperous uniting has been?”

“It is not the matter of prosperity. All men will see prosperity as evil if they feel they are not represented,” Hiryuu sighed heavily. “And if they feel that way then it is my short coming. I must become a more effective King. I still have to become stronger.”

“Please do not take it all on yourself, my king,” Zeno reminded him. “Whatever we can do to help, we will.”

Hiryuu paused for a moment, looking at his friends who all looked back at him with determination. How blessed he was, Hiryuu thought, to have such staunch supporters, such great friends. Hiryuu gave them all a smile.

“Your serious faces do not suit you,” Hiryuu chuckled. “Humor me, Guen and Shuten keep a close eye on the Lords of the West. Abi, I need extra copies of the budgets those Lords turn in. Zeno, make it your business to listen in on what their servants are saying. If it is nothing, then it is nothing. If something is happening, it is better for us to know now.”

“Yes, my king,” all of the dragons said as they bowed their heads.

“Will I be giving the budgets to you directly?” Abi asked and Hiryuu smiled.

“I will have someone I trust go through them.”

* * *

Hiryuu was in his study, signing papers and doing the administrative work involved with making a new brigade when a girl he noted to be one of Aiko’s ladies-in-waiting knocked upon the study door, bowing deeply.

“Yes?” Hiryuu asked, Guen stretching next to him.

“Forgive my intrusion, my king, Lord Hakuryuu. The Queen asks for your presence,” the lady-in-waiting said, her eyes flitting nervously between himself and Guen.

“Where?” Hiryuu asked confused.

“The…the baths?” The girl said, her cheeks slightly flushed at the obvious insinuation. Guen just chuckled next to him.

“Best not keep your wife waiting, I can handle the rest of this,” Guen said as he hid his grin, waving off Hiryuu’s concerns immediately.

“I believe you to be right, thank you Guen,” Hiryuu said as he stood up and joined the girl who led him to the baths.

Aiko was already in the baths when he arrived and disrobed, not batting an eye as he slid in next to her, though he couldn’t help the fact that his mind wandered to places that would probably make Aiko huff and was immediately feeling a bit too warm to be comfortable. As was the curse of a human body, Hiryuu mused, as he leaned in to kiss the droplet of water that was tracing her bare neck.

“What is it that you wished to talk about?” Hiryuu couldn’t help but ask, as Aiko turned her head and gave him a look that immediately cooled him down.

“Politics,” Aiko said flatly.

“Oh,” Hiryuu sighed, not being able to hide his disappointment at this turn of events. Aiko’s expression immediately morphed into one of slightly flushed annoyance.

“Men,” Aiko scoffed as she rolled her eyes and twisted a free lock of hair around her finger.

“I suppose this means that you finished looking over the budgets,” Hiryuu said, leaning back against the lip of the pool, stretching his legs.

“That I did,” Aiko said shortly, reaching to grasp the soap and to turn Hiryuu so that she could wash his hair, her gentle fingers contradicting her words, soothingly lathering soap against his scalp and making him sigh with pleasure. “I did not see anything too damning, but one small discrepancy on the weapon deposits. I fear they could be skimming from the top of the supply, but it’s too small to be able to say for certain. I’ll need to look at the past reports as well.”

“I’ll have those pulled from the archive for you. Perhaps they are caching extra weapons,” Hiryuu murmured as she finished rubbing the ends of his hair, “that is an alarming prospect. Thank you for catching that for me.”

“Tip your head back.”

Hiryuu did so, allowing Aiko to rinse the soap from his hair. When he sat back up and opened his eyes, he met her slightly bewildered expression.

“What is it?” Hiryuu asked.

“I…well, you looked…I don’t think I ever asked how old you are,” Aiko said, her brows knitted and her frown befuddled.

“Well, I couldn’t tell you how old I am, that’s sort of a sticky topic for the gods. None of us could tell who came first or last or whenever we just all existed. However my body, well, the priests told me I looked like I was around sixteen when they found me and when the Old King of the mountain took me under his wing. Two full turnings of the seasons after that the nobles betrayed me and I met my dragon warriors. It’s been three…almost four full turnings since that time. My birthday, if you can call it that, is in the spring. Guen is always calling me a spring chicken,” Hiryuu chuckled fondly.

“So—wait you are only twenty-one?” Aiko asked, surprise settling on her face adorably, eyes wide and face clear of any doubt.

“Yes,” Hiryuu said with a confused blink.

“I thought you were older than me for sure,” Aiko said sounding very annoyed, contrasting her gentle fingers as she combed through his hair. She was clearly not finished pampering him and Hiryuu was not complaining as a shiver of pleasure ran through him. “Sometimes you do look old, but other times you look like a boy. I pride myself on my skills at deduction but I honestly couldn’t tell, you are too glittery sometimes.” 

“Glittery?”

“Your strange aura you put off,” Aiko explained vaguely. “It doesn’t really matter, I was just curious.”

“How old are you?”

“I’ll be turning 23 this winter.”

“Well technically I still am older then you.”

“In God years, whatever that nonsense means,” Aiko muttered before sitting next to him again. “Well, if you ever get tired of your old wife, then feel free to go warm your bed with your others.”

“Other wives? What are you—“ Hiryuu asked before he had to slap his hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing. “Aiko! Don’t call my dragons my wives!”

“They fret and dote, they blush and stutter like shy kitchen maids, and would dutifully carry out any task you assigned them. They are practically all married to you,” Aiko said teasingly.

“They are my adorable dragons,” Hiryuu said fondly. “I’ll not have you teasing them.”

“Trust me, dear husband, they already make fools of themselves out of their affection for you without my help,” Aiko laughed. Hiryuu at this point could not help but feel a twinge in his gut and frowned accordingly. Aiko immediately sensed his mood and shifted closer. “What is it?”

“The Four Dragons were all imbued with the blood of my brothers. Of course I know they love me as their master and friend. But the divine love of my brothers is also sensed by them as their burden,” Hiryuu sighed. “It worries me.”

“Why?”

“You once said that as a god I must have been prideful, and you would think much of the same about my brothers. They mixed their own divine blood, their very essence and natures, with that of humankind. I have no remnants of godhood left within me, it was taken when I fell to the mortal world, and I knew it has certain risks. I had no idea if I would live or cease to exist. So it worries me. My brothers’ decision to change the nature of human beings, their intervention in the mortal realm, it has to have consequences.”

“Has something worried you?” Aiko asked, concerned, before trying to meet his eyes, her dark eyes piercing through him with intensity.

“It’s…” Hiryuu said, feeling his words stick to his throat. “It’s nothing. I hope it’s nothing at least.”

“You are not normally like this.” Aiko said, letting the previous conversation drop without pushing the issue.

“Like what?” Hiryuu asked as Aiko shifted to lean against his shoulder.

“Normally I am the one worried about hypotheticals while you are charging forward blindly,” Aiko said, pressing a kiss there softly. “Perhaps you are finally hitting maturity.”

“Perhaps…perhaps.”

* * *

The next day, everything Hiryuu dreaded seem to come to terrible fruition. Hiryuu walked along the outskirts of the castle that early morning, hearing the good-natured chatter of the dragons that helped to bring laughter and light to the castle. 

“—Then I’ll bust through your earholes with my spear, Seiryuu!” Shuten was shouting, poising his spear.

“I’ll paralyze your body before then!” Abi warned, Bora chirping in agreement on his head.

“Wa ha ha!” Guen chuckled with a smile spreading across his face as he held up his hand, “Okay, let me in. Let me in on it too!”

“Hey, hey,” Zeno tried to calm the other warriors.

Hiryuu at this point couldn’t help but smile. Truly, how precious they all were. Even when they fought there was no poisonous anger, even when they were angry their features were relaxed in good humor. If only all humans could be like his warriors, Hiryuu couldn’t help but think.

“Guen, Abi, Shuten, Zeno,” Hiryuu called to them, breaking their concentration with his presence, “you sure get along well.”

“King Hiryuu!” Zeno exclaimed.

“Does it look like we get along you blockhead king?” Shuten demanded flatly, as Guen quickly bowed behind him.

“Fu fu! You all look like cute dragons being silly around eachother,” Hiryuu pointed out with a laugh.

“King, go wash your eyes out,” Abi said flatly.

“It’s too early for you to be going senile,” Shuten added.

“That’s harsh,” Hiryuu chuckled before looking to Zeno, noting his expression had obviously fallen. “Zeno, what’s wrong?”

“My king, I’m not suited to command armies or be a tribe leader. It should be left to someone else. Among the Four Dragons, I don’t have any powers either. I only get in the way on the battlefield,” Zeno explained, his shoulders drooping. At the moment the light that normally emanated from within him seemed so dim, like a candle which had burned down almost all the way. Hiryuu wished to say something before suddenly Shuten intervened, resting his spear against his shoulder,

“He said he got a strong body from Ouryuu, but that was a lie.”

“He fell and skid his knees before this!” Guen chuckled.

“But my wounds heal fast!” Zeno countered.

“Your wounds heal fast?” Hiryuu asked surprise. He quickly wracked his mind, however he couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Zeno hurt. But wasn’t that slightly odd? A part of him asked. Zeno had followed them into battle many times, but he had never been hurt?

Something wasn’t right.

“Yeah! I heal right away when I’m injured! This is Ouryuu’s ability,” Zeno explained.

“You youngsters always heal quickly anyways,” Guen said, yawning and stretching, obviously unimpressed by Zeno’s revelation.

“It’s different, I’m telling you. Watch closely,” Zeno said as he neared the rock wall, his fist upraised. And then without any hesitation and with blatant disregard Zeno smashed his fist against the rock with a crack that resounded sickeningly in Hiryuu’s ears. Hiryuu felt his stomach turn as Zeno crouched on the ground with his wrist in his hand, shuddering and groaning in pain. Everything was shifting into place quickly, leaving Hiryuu cold and still and this…this couldn’t be—

“You idiot! What the hell are you doing?!” Shuten nearly screeched as Guen started forward and Abi stood rooted next to Hiryuu.

“Hey now, are you okay, you’re bleeding—“ Guen gasped, reaching for Zeno’s hand and turning it before stopping frozen in place.

There was nothing there. Nothing, as if the wound had never existed in the first place. How many times? How many times had Zeno been injured but had never told him? He would have never needed too if his wounds closed and his pain left as it obviously did as Zeno stood smiling so happily. Humans were supposed to change. After they were injured it was supposed to leave marks. And sickness…Zeno had never gotten sick like the others. He could eat and eat and never get sick. Zeno was always smiling, just like that, always—always—

—flashes too quick danced before his eyes, the sensation of rain, a dark shadow, his tongue too heavy he couldn’t say it—

“It’s okay. Rather than an ability that hurts people…an ability like this suits me fine,” Zeno’s voice echoed cheerfully before turning to him with that bright burdened smile, “Right my king?”

Oh Gods what have I done?

Hiryuu nearly lunged to hug him. Zeno’s hand reached to pat his back awkwardly, stilted in his surprise.

“My king…what’s wrong?” Zeno asked him, as he pulled away and grasped the necklace that had descended with him and pulled it over his head. He pressed it to Zeno’s palm.

“This was something the Dragons granted me…when I descended to the earth. I shall give it to you,” Hiryuu told him gently (awkwardly because the words he wished to say could not come out so he made do), his heart aching in his chest. “It is proof that I will always be with you.”

Suddenly he felt the presences of the Shuten, Abi, and Guen behind him and put on his best face,

“Hey!” Shuten said.

“Hm?” Hiryuu asked, before turning around.

“Just him?”

“Me?”

“And…I?”

“Oh, I only had one,” Hiryuu said before registering the obvious disappointment on their faces. “Did you want one?”

“I don’t need one! I really don’t need one!” Shuten demanded, his face flushed and Hiryuu couldn’t help but muffle a laugh at his expression, even though a weight pressed down on his heart.

“King!”

* * *

That night, Hiryuu prayed.

On his knees, on the cold stone of his balcony he clenched his fingers together and reached. He grasped onto the feeling the vision had inspired. It had been a long time, years, since he had a vision. (Very long, now that he was thinking about it. He used to have them a lot more often. When had he stopped? When had everything…settled as such?) So the appearance of one had both unsettled him and had made him anxious.

Brother…what were you trying to tell me? Hiryuu asked. I know it was you, I know that you were begging me not to say anything. Why? Why make that request of me now? Why did you keep this truth from me?

It washed over him like a healing spring rain, the sensation of his brother-God (he remembered in only flashes after all the human mind could not comprehend the true greatness of a god, but Ouryuu had been the most gentle, most loving), it raised goosebumps along his skin and made him tremble and almost weep. The loss of his Godhood ached inside of him, the emptiness filled only for a few moments has brother shared his space.

He was not meant to be a martyr, Hiryuu wanted to snap, his anger being met with endless waves of sadness. Zeno is a child! You gave him a burden no human is meant to bear!

**_FORGIVE ME BROTHER_ **

Then why—?!

**_HIS DESTINY MOVES ON PAST THIS LIFETIME AND INTO THE NEXT IT WAS FATED AND YOU CANNOT INTERFERE WITH THAT FATE_ **

It’s too cruel, it’s so cruel, Hiryuu whispered.

**_HE IS NEEDED HIRYUU FORGIVE ME BUT HE WILL ALWAYS BE NEEDED BY YOU_ **

What do you mean? Hiryuu demanded, but just as quickly as he came, suddenly his brother’s presence was gone. Hiryuu was overcome with an exhaustion that left him laying on the stone, cold and barely able to lift his head. His limbs felt as if they were encased by stone. All of his energy was gone, and for a moment Hiryuu believed he could sink into the earth and just disappear into sleep. He was too tired, too tired for grief, too tired for war.

_Oh Zeno…_

“Hiryuu?” Aiko’s concerned gasp rang in his ear. Suddenly, his body was shifted, and warm hands cupped his face, drawing him from his almost-sleep.

“Aiko…” Hiryuu said weakly, unable to lift his head.

“What happened?” Aiko demanded, her thumb brushing his cheek, returning sensation there. She shifted him to rest his head on her lap, and the touch thankfully anchored him back and restored him to his body in a way he hadn’t expected. “And if you dare to say nothing happened I will strangle you until you have a reason to be passed out.”

“Would you…believe me if I…said I had a vision?” Hiryuu asked her between labored breaths. “It…takes a lot of my energy out.”

Aiko’s face twisted only slightly, pinched with a certain flavor of annoyance that was unique to Aiko, a mixture of tempered anxiety and discordant hostility that wasn’t aimed towards him at all. Hiryuu really could not help but think that cold fire that burned in her dark eyes was increasingly attractive, but also better not aimed at him.

“Well whichever of your magical invisible brothers had the gall to do this to my husband deserves a good smack upside the head,” Aiko told him with vitriol. “So what was it that they wished to tell you?”

Tears burned in his eyes, and he lifted his hand to cover his eyes, though it was far too late, tears were already falling.

“Forgive me, I can’t…” Hiryuu said before shaking his head. “Forgive me.”

Aiko’s fingers in his hair told him everything he needed to know


	9. Cosmic Shifting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is finally, finally here! Leaving approximately three or four chapters left in the whole fic. At this point the pain train is coming into station, so I hope you enjoy.

“No sake, Aiko?” Hiryuu asked Aiko over dinner, watching as her face twisted up for a moment before she settled her hands upon her lap. She was regarding the whole spread with a certain amount of unfavorable ire, as if something the salmon had done had personally offended her as it lay in front of her. She was paler than usual, her eyes dark as they usually were if her head ached.

“Well, I’m sure I’m pregnant so that’s not a good idea,” Aiko said, making a face as she flicked a piece of rice with her chopstick.

Hiryuu immediately inhaled his drink, half falling out of his chair as he nearly retched the liquid that had scalded his lungs. Once he had gotten his bearing again, he stared at Aiko who was staring back at him with a mix of concern.

“Have you forgotten how to drink again, my lord?” Aiko asked him. “Do you need the court physician?”

“You’re…you’re pregnant?” Hiryuu asked, his voice rising in octaves.

“We have been having intercourse haven’t we? On a pretty regular basis at that. Why are you so surprised?” Aiko asked sounding seriously dumbfounded. Hiryuu immediately walked over to kneel by her seat, taking her hands.

“When did you find out?” Hiryuu asked her softly, releasing her hands so she could cup her belly, folding her fingers together.

“I haven’t…well…no one’s said anything for sure. But…I’ve had a feeling for a week or two. A sort of…ill sort of feeling in the morning. I’ve…well, I’ve thrown up a few times. It could be nothing, it could just be my nerves.”

“Is that why you were insisting on staying in your separate chambers?” Hiryuu asked of her, meeting her gaze.

“You’ve been so busy, I didn’t want to bother you about it and its custom-“

“Damn customs. You are returning to my bed tonight,” Hiryuu told her firmly, standing up to press a kiss to her mouth. “And every morning you will wake me up and I won’t care a single bit. Have you told the court physician?”

“I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. I still don’t know if I am…I could just be coming down with something…” Aiko said, sounding small and so worried.

“Then we will go speak to the court physician tomorrow regardless,” Hiryuu told her, scooping her in his arms, “thank you.”

“For what?” Aiko asked, her arms curling around him.

“Everything,” Hiryuu murmured, pressing a kiss to her cheek and then to her hair. “Are you hungry?”

Aiko shook her head as Hiryuu pulled back to cup her face. She looked pale, and Hiryuu hadn’t noticed the bags beneath her eyes. She had been so worried, Hiryuu thought unable to control the feeling of tender love he felt looking upon her. That was so like her, to try to protect him from anything she could. When he closed his eyes and pressed their foreheads together he felt the answer as he brushed his fingers over the still flat plane of her belly and felt her tremble in return. 

“Then let’s go rest,” Hiryuu told her, kissing her hands. “Let us rest, my love.” 

Hiryuu settled Aiko into bed with more coaxing that night. Pressed against him, their limbs intertwined until the early morning when Aiko awoke him whimpering and curled into a small ball on the edge of the bed. Hiryuu was awake and aware, bursting right past his usual morning haze as the dawn light slanted against her face making her pale and nearly green.

“Aiko?”

“I feel so sick,” Aiko whimpered, her hair darkened and dampened against his skin before saying hopelessly, “I don’t want to throw up!”

“It’s alright, my love, it’s alright,” Hiryuu immediately got up, grabbing the closest pot, settling it on the ground. He helped settled her down and pulled her hair aside as she retched helplessly between her sobs that hiccupped and gagged as Hiryuu rubbed her back.

“I’m sorry, I don’t feel good, I really don’t feel good,” Aiko sobbed as she tried to wipe her mouth, but her eyes looked frighteningly dry despite the force of her sobs and gags. She looked even paler than before against her dark eyes and hair, the sickly tinge of her skin scaring Hiryuu.

“I’m calling the court physician now,” Hiryuu said, before Aiko grasped his hand with frighteningly weak fingers.

“Please no, I’m…I’m just sick. Please don’t call him.”

“You are sick, and regardless you need to be seen,” Hiryuu said pressing the back of his hand to her forehead. Hiryuu walked over, calling over guards who immediately rushed to get the court physician.

“I hate you,” Aiko hissed but half tipped over onto the floor as she tried to steady herself with her hands. “Why did you do that I told you not to do that!”

“You are sick and I’m not going to have you getting any sicker! You’ve already been hiding this from me for days, and I will not stand idly by as you get any worse,” Hiryuu told her firmly. “Aiko, I’m begging you. Please.”

Aiko swayed as Hiryuu helped her to her feet and back into bed. Her fingers caught his robe with childlike gentleness, and she looked so sad.

“I’m sorry, I don’t hate you. I love you. I don’t know why I said that,” Aiko apologized immediately.

“I know you do, I know you didn’t mean that. You’re exhausted and you are sick,” Hiryuu said, sitting beside her and combing his fingers through her hair. “And I forgive you, and I love you.”

The court physician rushed into the room, his face pale with worried, running in with his arms full of bags of medicine,

“Your majesty,” the court physician said bowing. “If the Queen is sick I have to advise you to leave immediately.”

“This is my wife I will not be leaving her,” Hiryuu told him firmly.

“Your majesty I am afraid I have to insist—“

“Oh shut your mouth your voice is fucking irritating,” Aiko snapped at him, nearly sucking the air out of the room as she gritted her teeth. “Get me a woman—a midwife for gods’ sake!”

“My lady, how could—“ the court physician said, before immediately one of the female healers rushed passed him to help Aiko sit up. She immediately pressed her fingers against Aiko’s throat, before slipping her hands into her robes and to her chest. The female healer’s eyes widened for a moment as Aiko winced before looking to the court physician and giving Aiko a gentle smile.

“Congratulations, your majesty,” the female healer said before looking to the court physician. “Her morning sickness I believe has dehydrated her. Can I get a pot of heated water and ginger and mint leaves.”

“I can’t keep anything down,” Aiko said worriedly.

“The scent will be soothing, and if you don’t it could put you in danger,” she said.

“I’ll put in an order for acupuncture as well,” the court physician said immediately.

“Congratulations,” Aiko said sarcastically to Hiryuu before suddenly as the court physician jerked open the door Zeno and Shuten came half falling in, with Guen and Abi standing right behind them. “Hiryuu it seems your warriors demand attention.”

“Congratulations, my king!” Guen said before nearly scooping Hiryuu up in a hug that lifted him off the ground, and Hiryuu couldn’t help but laugh as he was spun around and nearly crushed in that heart embrace before he was settled down as Guen bowed before Aiko, “and congratulations to you as well, my Queen.”

“Yes, it all feels quite wonderful,” Aiko half-snorted as she was given a cup of tea that she grimaced while she drank, as Abi gave her a sympathetic nod as he bowed.

“Please forgive them, they were all quite excited about the news,” Abi said before Zeno laughed as he leaned against him.

“Says Seiryuu, he was looking through the walls the whole time!” Zeno chuckled before Abi gave him a small kick to the leg. Zeno’s smile did not falter, not even for a moment (and the grief was sickening as it settled in Hiryuu’s veins). The healer woman said something quick to Aiko, before excusing herself to give them space.

“Wait were you—“ Aiko began to say suddenly covering her belly, before standing up a bit wobbly to refill her cup. “No. Never mind please don’t answer my question I really really don’t want to know it might make me ill again.”

“It seems the little Queen still has plenty of fight left in her,” Shuten said, reaching over to help steady Aiko as she stumbled slightly. “But as Hakuryuu would say, even the greatest warrior must rest.”

“So you do listen to me,” Guen chuckled.

“Only when it suits his purposes,” Abi said in return as he walked over to refill her cup, as Aiko was sat down by his friends. Hiryuu taking his seat beside her as she attempted to continue to drink from the cup that Abi replaced. He brushed her hair from her face, feeling her brush tenderly against his touch before returning onto her labored gulps of sweetly scented tea. Their eyes met for a brief moment, still beautiful despite sickness, still deep and dark.

“Is your stomach calmed?” Hiryuu asked of her.

“I no longer feel as if I am being shaken, so that is wonderful,” Aiko chuckled, leaning against him as she sipped from her cup.

“It appears that the child will be as troublesome as the father,” Guen chuckled in good humor.

Hiryuu couldn’t have imagined the lack of strength in his hand as Aiko’s fingers tightening around his own.

* * *

_“I’m scared, Hiryuu,” Aiko had admitted. “I could lose this…I could die just like…”_

_“Who? Who died?” Hiryuu had asked, but the silence that stretched between them answered that quickly._

* * *

Having children was the sort of wonder that Hiryuu realized had the acute honor of being both beautiful and terrifying. Aiko was horribly sick and was almost constantly hovered over by midwives and healers, the dizzy spells and dehydration were constant leaving Aiko on bedrest for the first part of her pregnancy. The announcement was delayed until Aiko could wake up in the morning without immediately rushing to the pot and eat three meals a day once more.

And then there was a cosmic shift, as Aiko’s belly swelled she lost the tinge of pallid sickness that had bogged her down. Hiryuu watched with delight as she regained some of the energy that she had lost. The announcement came once Hiryuu was sure Aiko felt comfortable, and Hiryuu had watched as the city lit up in celebration.

“Hiryuu,” Aiko called as she rested against the balcony, the night breeze stirring the dark curls at her throat, rustling her silk robes that pooled and rippled in the warm breeze. Her eyes caught the light that emanated in a dreamy glow like stars in the night sky. For a moment he caught strings of music, perhaps laughter and merriment, but his whole self at that moment was keenly aware of her.

“Yes Aiko?” Hiryuu asked drawing close to her.

“Do you believe your brothers are always watching out for you,” Aiko asked, her hand drifting to rest over the pronounced curve. Hiryuu curled his arms around her, resting on that curve as they swayed slightly.

“I do,” Hiryuu told Aiko firmly.

“Promise me they’ll watch for Yak-shi.”

“Yak-shi?” Hiryuu asked unable to stop his smile, “we don’t know if we’re having a boy or a girl yet.”

“We’re having a son,” Aiko told him stubbornly as she leaned against him. “It’s what my intuition tells me so.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in things like that,” Hiryuu teased as she pulled away to grasp his hand and pull him into a dance.

“Intuition is about gut feeling, and considering it is your son kicking my gut I believe I am more than justified,” Aiko told him with a teasing lit as Hiryuu spun her slowly before she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Why, do you dislike my choice?”

“Not at all,” Hiryuu told her unable to help bending down to kiss her. “I’m happy you’ve chosen. I’m so grateful you are feeling better.”

Aiko’s face flickered with something unknown, before she leaned against his chest, still allowing him to rock her as he reached up to touch his face, he barely able to contain his shiver as her fingers brushed over his lips,

“I would feel best if you were always beside me.”

“And I you,” Hiryuu said gently.

“I wonder what he will look like,” Aiko said softly reaching up on her tip toes to kiss his forehead. “If he will have your eyes, your hair…I should like it best if he has your smile.”

“My smile?” Hiryuu asked, feeling a smile tug at his lips.

“Do you think it is just coincidence that your dragons flutter about you, that everyone who meets you would beg and fight for your cause just to see it grace your lips?” Aiko teased him. “You are the sun, Hiryuu, the dawn that brings men hope. I should like our child to be the same.”

“I must truly have done something to please you tonight,” Hiryuu told her, leaning down to kiss the flushed skin of her neck, unable to help the sliding of his hands. “Considering how sweet and gentle your words are.”

“You are the one who enjoys my words sharp,” Aiko reminded him, her fingers minding his curls.

“This I do not deny,” Hiryuu chuckled between kisses that lingered sweeter and warmer until Aiko pulled away.

“You must promise me, Hiryuu,” Aiko said, her gaze intense and searching upon his face. “I know you know I do not think much of the gods, but damn my beliefs if it will keep our child safe.”

“Are you still worried you shall not make it through,” Hiryuu asked her, the pit of worry deepening in his belly.

“It is the burden women bear,” Aiko explained. “You also must make it back for the birth, no matter what Hiryuu. Otherwise I think I will be angry at you forever.”

“The conflict will only last a few weeks at most,” Hiryuu told her firmly.

“You’ve said that before, and it took you two whole months to return,” Aiko told him as she stepped away from him, her back to him s silhouette glowed. “It will be months still, but…you must come back victorious from your wars. You must come back in time for the birth of your son. If I…you must be there.”

“Something has worried you, and you are not telling me,” Hiryuu told her and Aiko turned on her heel and looked at him impatiently.

“As if you do not have your own secrets,” Aiko snapped with sudden ferocity, which has a snarl pulling at her lips and her eyes fill with a dark cold heat that chilled him. “You certainly do not think me stupid, Hiryuu, I know you hide things of immeasurable importance.”

Hiryuu felt colder than he had in a long time. He turned to grasp the railing of the balcony, feeling cold and oddly light, and his fingers working to grasp the railing with strength as he attempted to work out an answer.

“I do not hide things out of pleasure, I dislike lying to you most of all,” Hiryuu said firmly. “And I know it’s useless to do so, your gaze is too disconcerting, that is one of the reasons I love you. But you must realize that as King I have a duty for as long as I draw breath to put my country first, even if it gives little happiness at times.”

“The weight of a country will crush you if you carry it alone,” Aiko told him, moving to stand next to him.

“It should have been mine to carry alone, Aiko, do you not see? It is a king’s destiny to shoulder that responsibility. It is because of my failure to do so that this has…” Hiryuu felt his throat close in agony, and swallowed back his despair.

“Will you not send your dragons to resolve this conflict?” Aiko asked, her hand pressed against his shoulder. “Their armies are well trained, they will be fine, and you can stay here Hiryuu. Stay with me this time, Hiryuu. Please?”

“I cannot,” Hiryuu told her, his throat aching. “I cannot leave my dragon warriors to the fields alone. They need me there besides them. I cannot let Zeno—I can’t.”

“I understand,” Aiko said softly though she stood away from him, looking away into the night. “I understand that truly we are different people who will never understand each other on some things. I don’t begrudge you for your choices, I chose to marry you knowing you had a duty greater than to me.”

“Do you believe I do not love you?” Hiryuu though, her words like a blow stealing his breath from his lungs.

“No Hiryuu, it is your love that hurts me tonight,” Aiko told him. “If you were a lesser man you would have sent me away, but you love me and it is because you love me that you can be so goddamn conflicted about your duties. I know what I have asked is selfish considering all the other women and children of Kouka depend on you, but you love me despite my selfishness and even falter to consider humoring me. Even when we both know you will never be fully mine, not in the way my heart is fully yours. You are still a divine creature, in the end.”

“I am a human,” Hiryuu told her, feeling shorn and ragged. In the dark of night, Aiko’s eyes were gazing deeper into him than any other could.

“You have never been a human, Hiryuu, you are a king.”

* * *

Hiryuu was struck by an arrow in the third battle. It pierced straight through his left arm, pain barely registering as the shock of the strike and the feeling of battle tore through him as he fought his way out of a band. Guen burst at his side with a roar claws the dazzling stars of heaven becoming drenched with blood and gore as he swiped through enemies to clear a path.

He shivered even though he knew by all accounts he was hot from the fever, and he barely felt it as the healer worked to place balm and wash out the puncture wound. Tea was forced down his throat sliding down to his stomach like serpent. By the fifth day of the fourth month he had regain most of his sense, and his dragon warriors had regained most of the territory lost to the clans.

“They ran like wounded animals,” Shuten growled, gritting his teeth as the ragged edges of the wound in his side was stitched. Guen’s gash upon his head was being tended to, as Abi lay leaning mostly against the pole, smeared with mud from a fall, keeping the tent up his fingers twitching as he regained his body. Zeno lay by Abi’s side, and he had remained there since he brought Abi back to camp. The longer Hiryuu looked at him, the more he realized and started forward to turn him—

His robes were torn from shoulder to belly, a stripe of red sickening for Hiryuu to look at. Guen gasped at the sight, but before either of them could cry Zeno’s eyes opened. He smiled, something that was utterly forced and made him ill to look at,

“It’s nothing, my king, there’s nothing there,” Zeno said with an odd look in his eyes, dull and watery.

“Zeno…I…” Hiryuu tried to say as he choked on his own words, before a messenger burst into the tent bowing.

“My king, we have the terms for surrender,” the messenger said, and Hiryuu forced himself to his feet, ignoring the way the world swayed with it.

“Then let us have them, and let us get out of this place,” Hiryuu told him as he walked forward.

It was a flurry of activity, the surrender, the move back to Kuuto. By the time Hiryuu arrived he was certain that he could fall into bed and sleep for days. However just as he had gone through the gate he realized that the castle seemed just on edge as any battlefield and immediately the court physician rushed up to him pale and sweating.

“Oh thank goodness, my king,” he exclaimed. “It’s the Queen!”

“What happened?” Hiryuu immediately demanded, panic filling his veins and setting his nerves on fire, erasing any tiredness.

“She’s in labor! She started having contractions yesterday,” he explained.

“Take me to her,” Hiryuu demanded immediately.

“But my king, the customs—“

“Take me to her now!” Hiryuu growled. “That is an order from your king.”

“Yes your majesty,” the court physician said, sallow and panicked. Hiryuu gave a fleeting look to the dragons who all nodded, before rushing through the castle like a man possessed. It did not take long before Hiryuu heard blood-curdling screams, before he burst into the room. Aiko was on the birthing bed, her chest heaving, face shimmering with sweat, her dark hair pulled up but still wild.

“My king you are not allowed in here!” One of the midwives tried to protest before Aiko gave her a wild look.

“HOW DARE YOU BE SO LATE GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW OR I SWEAR I WILL STRANGLE YOU, YOU IDIOT-KING!” Aiko half-screeched as midwives tried to keep her steady as she tried to push.

“Your wish is my command,” Hiryuu told her honestly, planting himself firmly beside her, holding his tongue and wincing as Aiko grabbed onto his arm all nails and little regard, but reaching over to smooth her hair out of her face. “Look at how strong you are, I’m so proud of you.”

“I can’t do it, I can’t!” Aiko was sobbing as she was shaking her head. “It hurts, it hurts!”

“You can,” Hiryuu told her, “it’ll be over soon, all you need to do is your best.”

“My queen, you need to push now,” the midwife told her firmly.

Aiko screamed as she bore down again, Hiryuu certain that he had lost essentially all feeling in his hand as she gripped with a strength that he was sure rivaled Guen’s.

“The head!” The midwife gasped, “the baby’s coming, my queen. Breath and push again, it’s almost here!”

Aiko gave one more scream, throwing back her head and obviously pushing with all of the force in her body. Suddenly, she collapsed back in bed breathing harshly as the midwife pulled down and Hiryuu could barely bring himself to look—

A wail released a breath that Hiryuu couldn’t remember him holding, but first things first his child was fine, and Aiko was his greatest priority at the moment as the midwives directed her in the delivery of the placenta. It came out within a few moments, leaving Aiko laying pale and drained. 

“It’s a boy, congratulations on the birth of our prince, your majesty!”

“Yak-shi,” Aiko whispered, eyes rimmed with bruises from lack of sleep, absolutely exhausted. “Gods, oh thank the Gods.”

Hiryuu watched as the bundle (baby oh god it was his baby) was washed quickly lay upon Aiko’s chest. Her arms wrapped around him as Hiryuu watched the sheen of tears filled her eyes as she touched her son (their son, their baby’s) face. Suddenly he was started from his trance by Aiko’s hand tugging him close so he could see.

“He’s perfect,” Hiryuu gasped, looking at the riot of dark curls. His fingers trembled as he touched cheeks soft and rounded, watched eyelids flutter. He was crying now but did not care as he leaned over to kiss Aiko’s forehead. “Utterly perfect.”

“He has your mouth,” Aiko whispered in awe. “I’m sure he’ll have your smile.”

* * *

_(Hiryuu was thankful, because Aiko was caring for Yak-shi and he was alone when Hiryuu awoke to find himself collapsed on the floor for the first time two weeks later.)_


	10. Of Fools and Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I don’t know what happened here but I was writing this and then all of a sudden it was done. I don’t even know. But as I was writing it, I felt like, it would be a good place here. This story really only needs one more chapter as an epilogue, so I’m just going to go with that feeling.

“My Queen, I have to disagree with you enacting the proposal without King Hiryuu here,” the noble man said, mopping at sweat with a silk handkerchief as Aiko appraised the group of nobles in front of her with varying levels of irritation.

“And why would you wish to waste my time doing that?” Aiko demanded of him immediately. “Did our King, King Hiryuu, the Crimson Dragon himself not decree that in his stead until his heir comes of age that I am to be his proxy in court if he should be unavailable?”

“He did my Queen, but I believe we should not enact this new project without proper appraisal—“

“Proper appraisal? The wells that give water to our populations surrounding Kuuto, the populations that farm and labor, are in need of repair. Now, any half-wit or five year old would be able to see that is an immediate problem considering how reliant all of us are on living to be alive. And water would be a crucial aspect of that do you not agree? Or should I call my son in here to give us his more learned opinion if you will not do so?” Aiko asked of him, and immediately a dull rumble of laughter (both open and hidden behind hand) cause the lord to turn ever paler.

“N-No my Queen, that will be unnecessary I see the light to your reasoning that I had not before…”

The meeting was soon adjourned with the proposals put in motion. Aiko sighed as she exited the room, her ladies-in-waiting fluttering about her as she made her way to the nursery. Yak-shi stood up immediately at her entrance and ran to give her a hug.

“Did you defeat the bad guys at the meeting, Mama?” Yak-shi asked her and the ladies-in-waiting hid their giggling, and Aiko couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh yes, you better believe I did! You know better than anyone I run a tight ship!” Aiko said, as she bent down. “And I heard something.”

“What?” Yak-shi asked.

“That you wanted to wait with me for Papa to get home.”

“I do!” Yak-shi said nearly jumping up and do with excitement.

“Then that is exactly what we will do,” Aiko said offering her hand and feeling Yak-shi take it and she squeezed it gently in return.

Yak-shi waited with Aiko all that day, with her in the office signing papers and following her around and watching her attend her duties. When Hiryuu did not arrive that day, but a messenger came forward stating they would be in the next morning, Yak-shi was a ball of energy that took hours to settle down for sleep. However the next morning Aiko awoke early in order to fetch him, and they waiting until the time came. 

“Mama, Mama look!” Yak-shi said as he tugged at Aiko’s shirts. Aiko couldn’t help but smile as she watched his dark eyes light up with joy at the sight of the incoming soldiers. They were just arriving as dawn crept over the mountains, and Yak-shi had been adamant about seeing them (being snuggled against her with a cup of tea in hand, as she read him stories as they waited may have been another reason as well). Aiko bent down, holding out her hands and Yak-shi took them eagerly.

“Do you know what this means? When all the soldiers come back?” Aiko asked him, lowering her voice into a very loud conspiratory whisper that had all the ladies-in-waiting smiling. Yak-shi’s brow furrowed for a moment in concentration before suddenly his eyes alight with the answer.

“Papa?” Yak-shi asked as if daring to hope for the right answer. Aiko took his little hands and kissed them.

“You are so smart,” Aiko laughed, “it does mean your father’s home.”

“Can we see him?” Yak-shi asked, his excitement nearly filling the room with a sort of contagious happiness that made Aiko’s heart squeeze.

“Oh you know we can, want to know why?”

“Why?”

“Because your mother gets everything she wants,” Aiko said pressing a kiss to Yak-shi’s forehead, causing giggles to erupt from Yak-shi who touched her cheeks.

“Mama’s silly!”

“And you’ve been listening to your father too much,” Aiko laughed. “We both know he’s the silly one.”

With Yak-shi’s hand in hers, Aiko walked down to the Great Hall where the high ranking officers were received. As always the room filled with a certain kind of relief that only came once an important battle had been won. Aiko looked anxiously for Hiryuu but her fears were assuaged when the Four Dragon Warriors made their way in. Lord Ryoukuryuu and Lord Seiryuu made their appearances first, and both bowed their head to her and offered a kind smile to Yak-shi and greeted him.

“King Hiryuu is with the physician, my Queen,” Lord Seiryuu answered Aiko’s unvoiced question before she asked it. “The mud and the rain didn’t take kindly with him. Hakuryuu and Ouryuu are with him.”

“Again,” Aiko couldn’t help but say dryly, feeling a twinge of something…panic? Distress? But keeping it out of her voice.

“Our idiot-king’s got a cold, Yak-shi you’ll have to help shape him up,” Lord Ryokuryuu said with a rather boisterous grin to Yak-shi who promised to do just that as Lord Ryokuryuu shared a look that was meant for Aiko and gave her chill.

It was serious, whatever it was.

And as if answering her question into the hall came Lord Hakuryuu, Lord Ouryuu, and then her husband. Lord Hakuryuu and Lord Ouryuu looked grim in comparison to how they usually arrived home, however as Aiko could see they put on their best faces as soon as attention was drawn to them. Hiryuu walked a bit behind them, his gait halting as if it took precious attention to keep himself upright.

“Papa!” Yak-shi called happily, and though limping Hiryuu’s smile was genuine and full of the sort of unbridled affection that still made Aiko’s legs weak as he looked upon them both and took them into a hug. But everything else was wrong, Hiryuu’s face was sallow, his hands were so cold, and he had seemed to have lost weight (even more than before).

“I am so glad to see you,” Hiryuu breathed, giving Yak-shi a kiss on the forehead before giving Aiko a kiss that was sweet despite his lips dryness. “I missed you both terribly.”

“I missed you too, Papa,” Yak-shi told him firmly. Aiko could no longer stand by and pressed the back of her hand to his forehead, nearly yanking her hand back at the heat that had nearly burned her.

“You are running a fever,” Aiko informed him, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Only a little one,” Hiryuu tried to say before Yak-shi looked between them before hopping over to Lord Ouryuu on his little legs like a rabbit.

“Papa’s in trouble,” Yak-shi warned Lord Ouryuu who smiled broadly, as Lord Ouryuu always did whenever Yak-shi was near, and quickly scooped up the rambunctious bundle of energy and rested him on his hip. 

“I think so,” Lord Ouryuu said, and Aiko was suddenly struck by how young he looked holding her son. Aiko remembered the first time he had held Yak-shi, a very similar expression resting upon his face. That warm grin that Aiko always remembered. But it wasn’t just similar…it was…

Hiryuu’s hand touching her arm drew her from impossible thoughts.

“I shall go rest,” Hiryuu told her gently in his voice something was bidding her—begging her of something but of what Aiko did not know. “Please, won’t you attend to the rest?”

“Of course,” Aiko said immediately, sharing a quick kiss before Hiryuu was swept up by the healers and physicians. His form swept up by a tide and disappearing just as quickly.

* * *

Yak-shi’s fourth birthday had come and went, and spring rainclouds had emptied of their rain and left the valleys dry when Aiko understood for the first time the levity of what was truly happening—that Hiryuu was dying.

Everyone died, it was a part of life. Aiko had promised herself a long time ago that she would try to just accept that. She knew the day would come down the line where either she or Hiryuu would die, leaving the other as lone monarch either until Yak-shi could take the throne or to pass it down to him. But it occurred to her on a beautiful autumn morning, when the air was clear and light and cool. The revelation was not shocking, it was not catastrophic, it simply sunk into her skin and deep into her bones choking her and making the room seem utterly small as Hiryuu rested Yak-shi on his lap, pressing a kiss to their son’s cheek. Hiryuu was so pale, his cheekbones cut across his face with frightening definition, he seemed so tired but Aiko had seen him struggle so long to rest himself from their bed that morning. The days passed in a haze for him, punctuated only with coughs and fits, but suddenly for Aiko everything was alarmingly clear:

Hiryuu was dying and it was too soon.

“I’m going to send you with Li-san for tonight,” Aiko said, nodding to one of the ladies-in-waiting as Yak-shi pouted a pout that nearly made her melt (his mouth jutted just like Hiryuu’s, his brow furrowed just like Hiryuu’s, and he was so precious and on any other day she might have given in but today she absolutely could not).

“Mama, can’t I stay? I want to play with Daddy.”

“Later, my love,” Aiko said, bending down so she could scoop him up in a probably too-tight hug before depositing him with the ladies-in-waiting who were immediately dismissed. Aiko leaned against the closed door, and Hiryuu looked towards her. Aiko was standing there, trying her best to keep her knees from collapsing beneath her. But still she stood, and as long as she could stand she could glare at Hiryuu’s all-too-knowing gaze. “Get back in bed, you look absolutely horrendous.”

“My love, have you no pity for me?” Hiryuu asked with a gentle laugh that hurt her more than anything as he smoothed the quilt that Aiko had painstakingly folded over his lap earlier.

“None,” Aiko snapped.

“You know I feel so anxious when the physician keeps me there,” Hiryuu answered with a dismissive wave, before giving a smile that felt all too much like a shallow joke. “I feel more like a prisoner than the king of my own country. Besides, Yak-shi likes seeing me work, and I’m only doing paperwork. He said I can do things that are not too strenuous and I should be better soon.”

It felt like a jab in her chest, she felt like she couldn’t breathe, as she hugged herself tight for a moment, turning around to press her forehead against the cool wood of the door and attempt to regain her composure,

“Stop it.”

Hiryuu did not answer her, but his silence was infuriating to her as the moments stretched on unbearable until finally Aiko whirled around.

“None of them want to admit it but they know!” Aiko growled at him before continuing on in a burst of hysteria. “We all know it! We know but your dragons are running away from the truth, but I cannot continue on with this charade any longer. Don’t you understand how much this hurts for me? I’m not good at these things, Hiryuu, you are supposed to be the one who is good at talking but you aren’t! Why will you not speak to me? Why? Am I that useless to you, Hiryuu?”

“You are nothing of the sort, Aiko,” Hiryuu said wide-eyed and panicked as suddenly tears flooded from her eyes, stinging them and running hot down her cheeks as she nearly collapsed at his chair, grasping his robes and feeling him slip from the chair to join her kneeling on the floor as she gripped the fabric covering his chest and bawled it up in her hands. Hiryuu winced as he back jolted against his desk but said nothing.

“You can’t Hiryuu,” Aiko sobbed, the crown of her head pressed to his chest as she continued to grip weakly. “You can’t die! I will never forgive you, do you hear me? I’ll never forgive you, you idiot-king.”

“I’m sorry,” It came out rough and ragged as if Aiko had dragged it out from the place he had hidden it. Hands were wrapped around her shoulders, and Aiko felt warm droplets plop upon her knuckles. “I’m so sorry, Aiko.”

Suddenly he was hugging her, as tightly as he possibly could despite the lethargy clinging to his bones. Hiryuu’s face was warm and wet as he pressed kisses between sobs to her neck and continued to beg for forgiveness. They stayed there together on the floor, clinging to each other as they continued to sob until Hiryuu had no more energy and he lay listlessly with his head resting upon her lap. Aiko wiped his tears with the sleeve of her robe, tracing the shadows under his eyes, his nose, his cheek, and his eyes remained closed. 

“I had a feeling this would happen,” Hiryuu said, his voice breaking their silence. “Or something like this. I’ve known for a long time that my time here was going to be ending, but how could I say that? How could I say that when I wish with every part of my heart for it not to be so? Yak-shi…he’s so young, and when he smiles I…I just wanted to be with him and you as long as I could. How could I lay that burden on you?”

“So we could be together, Hiryuu,” Aiko told him gently. “So you didn’t have to suffer alone. That’s what being married is for, after all, we are meant to share the weight of the heavy things.”

“I am a fool,” Hiryuu told her with a ghost of a smile that was painful but genuine. “I could not see the obvious nature of things in front of me. That is why I’ve always needed you and always will.”

“You are a fool, but you are a good man,” Aiko told him firmly. “You will always be a good man first, Hiryuu. You are silly and sentimental and that is why you can be so damn infuriating by trying to protect other people. But other people don’t need to be protected by you, that is not your burden to bear.”

“You are so smart Aiko,” Hiryuu laughed sweetly and lovingly.

“I will not deny my intelligence,” Aiko couldn’t help but chuckle, “but I am still a fool. If I weren’t, I would have never fallen in love.”

For a few moments there was nothing but her and Hiryuu, together. His cheek against her hand, his breath brushing her fingertips like sweet melancholy kisses, her heart aching but beating in an exquisite but terrible pain. His chest stirred languidly as if he were right on the edge of much needed sleep, and Aiko slipped her fingers only for a moment to reassure herself with the thrumming pf his heart in his neck. Aiko returned to slowly combing his hair through with her fingers before he gently shifted if only for a moment.

“Do you regret it?” Hiryuu asked and Aiko cupped his face, watching his eyes flutter open in order to meet his gaze.

“I will never regret being in love with you, for as long as I shall live.”

* * *

_Hiryuu waned like the setting sun, until no longer he was able to rise from bed to meet the dawn. Lord Hakuryuu, Lord Ryokuryuu, and Lord Seiryuu kept busy helping Aiko to run the country effectively while Hiryuu remained bedridden, and Lord Ouryuu took up the post of healer and conversation-starter. But Aiko found herself taking on more and more of the responsibility just to keep her mind from racing and her body from rushing to their room._

_Dread collected and accumulated soft and cruel. It wasn’t long now, everyone knew. It was not long, Aiko thought as she curled with him in bed as the nights wore on and she stayed away just to assure herself that his chest still rose and fell even faltering._

_(“—do you know, my king?” Lord Ouryuu’s voice cried like a wounded creature through the great and suddenly cold walls of Hiryuu Castle, a wail that pierced Aiko in the heart, Hiryuu’s stunned silence confirming everything she had feared.)_

* * *

“Yak-shi…you have been learning…so quickly,” Hiryuu said between heavy breaths, Yak-shi’s dark hair standing a stark contrast against Hiryuu’s paleness. Lord Ouryuu had not been in since the day before (when Aiko had happened upon a final cry and him rushing from the room with tears in his eyes), but it did not seem to matter as she took her spot beside him. Hiryuu’s fingers fumbled though he hid them by having Yak-shi turn the pages. “Already reading so well.”

“Because Mama’s been teaching me,” Yak-shi said, closing the book and placing it down with care.

“You…take after her so much…I’m so proud of you,” Hiryuu said, as Yak-shi wrapped his arms around Hiryuu’s neck and Hiryuu hugged him in return. “I love you, Yak-shi.”

“I love you too, Papa, goodnight,” Yak-shi said before Hiryuu pulled away his smile so sweet but so painful before leaning to give Yak-shi a kiss. Aiko waved to the lady-in-waiting to take Yak-shi and bring him to his room. As soon as he was gone, Hiryuu turned his sad-sweet smile upon her as Aiko helped to settle him down into bed.

“Stay with me…?” Hiryuu asked of her and Aiko nodded before pulling her chair in closer. She grasped his hand as he squeezed with the scant strength remaining there and with her free hand she brushed the hair away from his face. In the candle light his eyes sparkled twilight violet.

“Please don’t go,” Aiko begged of him, raw and hurting as tears stung.

“You don’t…have to be afraid…” Hiryuu told her as if it were the most honest and natural thing in the whole world.

“This is all backwards, I’m supposed to be the one comforting you,” Aiko hiccupped, and Hiryuu just smiled at her.

“We will…see each other again…in heaven or in the…next life…and I will be with you…and I know my brothers will care for…you and Yak-shi…we will see each other again…”

“How can you be so sure? What if I’m not good enough?” Aiko sobbed. “I’m just a human, Hiryuu. I’m not like your warriors, I…I can’t protect you. And Zeno…I know Hiryuu! I know what’s happened to him! I’m still so mad…and you can’t die!”

“He knows…he knows too…” Hiryuu said his voice aching with grief. “My brothers…they would not allow me…to tell him.”

“Your brothers deserve a smack in the head!” Aiko snapped and Hiryuu’s laughter fell hitched but happy on her ears. 

“In the end…I believe it…from the bottom of my heart…there is a reason…” Hiryuu rasped. “I’m sorry…you married an idiot-king…but I want to believe it…even if I will miss you…every moment I will miss you…”

“I used to think that you were, Hiryuu. I thought you were foolish and idealistic and a liar but I take it back,” Aiko whispered, her lips stinging from her tears. “You aren’t a fool, or an idiot or stupid, you are so good Hiryuu. And I love you.”

“Were you…secretly feeling bad about it this…whole time?” Hiryuu asked, squeezing her fingers. “You’re so…adorable Aiko.”

“Stop being you to a fault even now, Hiryuu,” Aiko tried to chastise him but her smile felt wobbly, and instead she pulled his hand up to kiss it. “You don’t have to worry, I’ll take care of Yak-shi, and I’ll take care of the kingdom and I—I love you. So you can rest easy, we’ll do our best here and I…I love you, Hiryuu.” 

“I love you too…” Hiryuu said, his eyes fluttering gently as Aiko leaned down to press kiss after kiss to his lips until he fell asleep. Aiko resisted, but perhaps if there were gods they gave one final parting gesture, and Aiko fell asleep listening to his eased breath.

And Aiko awoke alone, beside her lord who lay in slumber.


	11. Until Evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s over. Considering this started as a one-shot, I’m always honored and inspired by everyone who really took to Aiko and claimed her as the Queen of Hiryuu. Thank you everyone for supporting my vision and for being awesome, it’s because of my amazing followers and mutuals that this fic ever happened and I’m so glad it did. 
> 
> So without further ado, please enjoy the final installment of, Of Stupid Gods and Idiot-Kings, and with it beginning in a similar way in which it all started.

Years slipped away into a stream that Zeno wished would still be was utterly helpless to stop. The chaos after Hiryuu’s death came and went with a period of unrest and unease, his brethren left Hiryuu Castle and Zeno. He was absorbed in helping the Queen to rule, in helping to raise Yak-shi into a proper monarch which he certainly grew to be with his father’s idealism and smile and yet his mother’s striking shrewdness (he suspected, Zeno knew, Yak-shi was not stupid or a child and he understood what Zeno was doing, but perhaps it was because of that kindness that he had inherited that he said nothing and it hurt Zeno all the more). However one day out of the blue, he awoke and suddenly more than twenty years had passed. Things began to shift again away from the uneasy rhythm and into a maddening frenzy, and not long after the death that opened the aching chasm within him things began to fall apart.

Zeno discovered that physically pain no longer affected him as it once did. Instead it felt like a proper punishment for his deeds. But instead his heart had long since torn and torn until it was hard to bear, until it was so difficult to lie that he would rather do nothing at all. His periods of inactivity were met with concern, but as always people continued to move around him. Zeno couldn’t help but find this all too fitting, but he felt as if he had little power to do anything to change what had happened.

But then, it all came to an end.

The platter clattered on the table soup almost spilling from its bowl and spoon clanging suddenly, and when Zeno looked up expecting a servant or a lady-in-waiting, Zeno was met with the hot and dark glare of the Queen and it took him aback. Even as Queen Aiko had aged, she had always cut an imposing and terrifying figure no matter where she treaded. Age had suited her well, unlike many of the women he had known, and Queen Aiko had accepted it with grace instead of the impossible scorn of many court ladies who clung to the vestiges of youth. Her dark hair was streaked with silver and pulled up, and her face lined with worry and with laughter from the years past, but the moment her glare pressed down upon him like a heavy weight he found himself feeling utterly small and young once more. That had always been the Queen’s power, Zeno couldn’t help but think fondly. As the lone monarch for many years, the Queen had been a political force no one within the country had dared to trifle with. The country that could have fallen so easily remained, in good part because of her and the raw passion that stoked the eternal flame that blazed within her. 

(She had never taken another husband, any other lover, or had any more children. Her sister and brother and their families instead remained close after her father’s peaceful passing. Yak-shi remained her pride and joy, and though Zeno rarely caught her tears, on the first of every month new flowers would find their way to the mausoleum. It was and always would be like that, Zeno could not help but think. Aiko had given herself to Hiryuu for life and Hiryuu had loved her just as deeply and completely, and Zeno knew that in being complete Aiko would be eternally grateful. Not many women could be worthy of the love of a god, but the fiercely devoted and loving Queen always would be.)

“Eat,” she ordered him shortly, her obstinate command jerking him from the haze of hunger and melancholy as if he had been physically shook.

“Forgive me…my Queen, I’m not feeling very hungry,” Zeno told her, trying to summon the strength to smile and offer something to assuage her anger but finding nothing to suggest so.

“Then drop dead, but we both know how well that works for you. Now cease this foolishness or go die where I don’t have to see you reanimate,” Aiko snapped her anger pulsing and her works striking him and making his stomach ache before suddenly saying softer and pleading, “eat. Please eat.”

In wooden, forced movements Zeno found himself lifting the spoon to his mouth and swallowing the stew, finding no taste but continuing to do so until the bowl was empty. Aiko sat beside him on the bed, looking forward and thoughtful.

“It was Lord Seiryuu wasn’t it?” Aiko asked him gently.

“…yes,” Zeno whispered, the ache of loss in his chest still hurt so much as if he was being flayed open (and yet still, still the lights wavered in the periphery of his heart, perhaps born from the wellspring of madness he constantly wavered over the edge of). The Queen took a deep breath as she accepted this news, closing her eyes shut tightly to steel herself before wiping away the beginning of tears. 

“Will you listen to what I have to say, Lord Ouryuu?” The Queen asked of him.

“Of course, my Queen,” Zeno said immediately. 

“I want you to leave Hiryuu Castle,” Aiko told him bluntly and Zeno stared at her before she shook her head. “Not because I do not want you here, your smile…Hiryuu always loved your smile and it has always given me strength in return. But Yak-shi is of age and is ruler, and he wishes to rule but is constantly held by wishing your approval. I know Zeno, what you have been doing. I am grateful for you all always protecting Yak-shi, but I also know that continuing on like this will do you no good. The people within the castle do not understand, and though your place has been and always will be beside my husband, only Hiryuu’s body remains here. Yak-shi will be a good and effective king and he is not in danger. And I…it is selfish, but I do not want you to watch me die any longer.”

“Don’t say that,” Zeno begged her, but Aiko reached over to brush his hair. Her gaze was open and honest, and there was no trace of disgust or unease that Zeno could find. That was the way she was, Zeno supposed, always accepting things head on (even if it was disgusting and unbelievable as his current condition).

“We’re both almost fifty. I think we can be blunt about it,” Aiko reminded him and Zeno’s stomach lurched, but Aiko took his hands in hers as if to steady him. “It’s alright now. I want you to be free, Zeno.”

“I won’t ever be free,” Zeno whispered, tears stinging at his eyes. “Don’t you understand this is…this is a forever sentence? No matter what I do I…”

“I don’t believe that,” Aiko promised him with utter conviction. “I want to tell you something very important.”

“What?” Zeno said.

“You were there when Hiryuu and I first met, and did you ever believe we would end up here?” Aiko asked of him and Zeno couldn’t help but feel smile tug at his lips. For a moment Zeno paused at the suddenness of the question before blinking and wracking his mind for the details.

“Not for a second,” Zeno told her honestly. “I didn’t even think you would ever like any of us.”

“But look at what happened here,” Aiko said motioning around to the castle. “I fell in love with Hiryuu, you and your fellow dragons all proved to be the best of friends and men. Hiryuu’s dream, it became reality, even if it was crazy and unbelievable to me when we first met all those years ago and even if it was imperfect. I suppose my point is that though I cannot offer proper comfort or belief in vague fantasies, I do have something I can believe in. Hiryuu told me that we would see each other again, and crazier things have happened.”

“I don’t know if I can believe in that,” Zeno told her, squeezing her hands.

“It’s okay if you don’t, Lord Ouryuu,” Aiko promised him, her dark eyes softened and smiling despite looking on the edge of tears. “But I will always love Hiryuu, and I will always care about you and Lord Hakuryuu and Lord Ryokuryuu and Lord Seiryuu because he loved you all. If I can, please let me protect the things Hiryuu loved.”

“If I leave…I’ll feel like I’ll have lost the last parts of him I have,” Zeno admitted desperately but Aiko just reached to touch the fabric of his shirt and press the medallion there closer to his heart.

“If it only took that much to rid yourself of my idiot-king, then he would have been gone a long time ago,” Aiko told him firmly.

For a few moments that sat in silence. It was a comfortable, gentle silence like the space after a long held breath had been released. Aiko looked on him and Zeno could not help but see within her gaze that fierce girl he had met so many summers past, but sharpened and softened by experience (she would always be so contrary like that, Zeno almost laughed). He hoped it was true, even if Zeno believed that it was not. And perhaps that was all that he could do, and he remembered then—right then:

_“In some cases, the dew may evaporate first, while the flower remains—but only to be withered by the morning sun. In others the flower may wither even before the dew is gone, but no one expects the dew to last until evening…”_

“I did say that to you and Hiryuu that day, didn’t I? I had almost forgotten.” Aiko asked him, eyes widening in surprise. “How did you remember?”

“My Queen…I…” Zeno said quietly, struggling for words before shaking his head.

“It is fine,” Aiko told him, and for a moment things fell silent between them. Zeno took it in, if only to fill the emptiness in his chest, but found that sitting with her was the first bit of peace he had in so long. But he also knew, knew that she was right. Zeno knew that it was time. And all he could hope was that he could carry this moment with him like all the moments he cherished.

“I’ll…I’ll appoint a successor to being the head priest,” Zeno told her, letting Aiko’s fingers slip from his grasp but not before saying, “I’ll miss you, my Queen.”

“And I will miss you, my friend,” Aiko promised him. “And thank you, for everything.”

* * *

When Zeno left Hiryuu Castle, there was no fanfare nor many goodbyes. His departure was sudden but expected for many many years (and perhaps met with sighs of relief that still hurt despite what Zeno knew could not be caused by anything but rightful fear of him). His Lord Priest successor took oath, happily stating his intent to aid King Yak-shi, and with everything in order Zeno decided to leave the castle.

But that morning Yak-shi embraced him and thanked him earnestly, and wished him safe travels with a smile that reminded him so much like Hiryuu’s. And just as soon as he reached the halls leading out he saw the Queen walking briskly and with an expression that was soft as her skirts swished across palace floors like rippling silver fog. She smiled and bowed her head in a nod causing the ladies-in-waiting to gape and copy the action jerkily before Lady Aiko looked up at him,

“Goodbye, Lord Ouryuu. And be safe.”

“I will,” Zeno promised her as she walked passed him, pausing for a moment a few steps behind him.

“Before you leave, just know this. This world is a world that was made and fashioned by fools and stupid gods, but I’ve found that I quite like idiots and stupid people. So do me one final favor, and never lose that stupidity of yours,” Aiko said, offering him one final curving smile. Zeno couldn’t help but bow before her, hiding a smile of his own. 

“I’ll try my best,” Zeno told her honestly.

The Queen’s footsteps echoed away behind him, and Zeno began forward and out of the grounds of Hiryuu Castle and towards the white rolling hills and mountains that were glowing with the golden of the midmorning sun. Zeno looked forward and not back.


End file.
